Frigide Barjot
Frigide Barjot in 2014
Born
Virginie Merle

(1962-09-25) 25 September 1962
Boulogne-Billancourt, France
NationalityFrench
EducationJean Moulin University Lyon 3
Sciences Po
OccupationActivist
Known forOpposition to Same-sex marriage in France

Virginie Tellenne[1] (née Merle;[1][2] born September 25, 1962) better known by her alias Frigide Barjot, is a French humorist, columnist and political activist. A former socialite of the Parisian nightlife, who organized events defending the Catholic faith in the 2000s, Barjot rose to prominence in the early 2010s in France as a vocal campaigner against same-sex marriage and LGBT adoption.

Biography

Born into a family from Lyon, Virginie Merle studied the law at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 and Sciences Po before joining the public relations office of the French Gaullist political party Rally for the Republic (RPR).[3][4][5] As a young woman, Barjot was a figure of the Parisian nightlife, and would regularly attend gay clubs; she has described herself as a "fag hag" (fille à pédés in French).[6][7][8]

In the 1980s, Barjot met Bruno Tellenne, also known as Basile de Koch, a speechwriter and the founder of comedy group Jalons;[2][7] the group styled itself as a "cultural intervention group", which specialized in parody and subvertising campaigns. She later became herself a member of Jalons, adopting the alias "Frigide Barjot",[note 1] and gradually became a prominent member within the group. In the 1990s, Barjot was a regular guest on some French talk shows such as On a tout essayé..[9]

In 2004, Barjot claimed to have had a mystical experience during a trip to Lourdes which reportedly renewed her Roman Catholic faith.[2] She became gradually more vocal about her religion, presenting herself as "Jesus's press attaché" and organizing events defending Christianity, especially then-Pope Benedict XVI.[10]

In 2012, as the French government announced their proposal to make same-sex marriage legal in France, Barjot was one of activists who organized demonstrations in Paris to oppose the project.[11] She became a spokeswoman for La Manif pour Tous, an umbrella organization campaigning against same-sex marriage and LGBT adoption.[3]

Personal life

In 1994, Barjot married humorist Basile de Koch (born Bruno Tellenne), founder of comedy group Jalons of which Barjot was a member.[12] As of 2013, they have two children.[2]

Filmography

  • Trois zéros (2002) – as Brigitte
  • People (2004) – as a jet setter
  • Turf (2013) – as a guest

Bibliography

  • J'élève mon mari, Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès, 2001, ISBN 2-7096-2234-3
  • J'éduque mes parents (co-authored with Basile de Koch), Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès, 2004
  • Manuel de survie de la femme moderne
  • Le manifeste foutiste : traité de sagesse à l'usage des petits et des glands (co-authored with Basile de Koch), Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès, 2000 ISBN 2-709-62125-8
  • Confessions d'une catho branchée, Éditions Plon, 2011 ISBN 978-2-259-21307-3
  • Touche pas à mon sexe, contre le « mariage » gay, Éditions Mordicus, 2013, ISBN 978-2-918-41459-9

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ The pseudonym, a pun on French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot, is made from frigide which is French for "frigid", and barjot which is slang meaning "crazy".[2]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Frison, Mickaël (November 25, 2014). "Virginie Tellenne, ni "pute" ni Frigide". Europe 1 (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Grousset, Véronique (January 4, 2013). "Frigide Barjot, figure de proue". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 France debates gay marriage, Nytimes.com
  4. ↑ France's gay marriage fight, BBC.co.uk
  5. ↑ Mass Rally in Paris: France Agonizes Over Plan to Allow Gay Marriage, Spiegel.de
  6. ↑ Rémy, Jacqueline (January 12, 2013). "Frigide Barjot, la fofolle de Dieu". Marianne (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 de Montclos, Violaine (21 July 2011). "Frigide Barjot, la catho déjantée". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  8. ↑ Barjot, Frigide. Touche pas à mon sexe !: Contre le "mariage" gay... (in French). Editions Mordicus. p. 1.
  9. ↑ Guyard, Bertrand (10 July 2013). "Laurent Ruquier: «Hollande et Ayrault ne sont pas très bons»". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Le Vaillant, Luc (30 April 2011). "La fofolle de Dieu". Libération (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  11. ↑ Gay attack victim in France becomes cause celebre, as Senate debates same-sex marriage law, Washingtonpost.com
  12. ↑ Gendron, Guillaume (4 January 2016). "Basile de Koch, branchouille de bénitier". Libération (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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