Toulouse: a pornographic and sexist fresco creates controversy
The CHU on Monday ordered the withdrawal of a large pornographic fresco and exists adorning the wall of a refectory of the Purpan medical boarding school in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).
Faced with the controversy, the management of the hospital issued a statement Monday to be part of its “strictest commitment to the fight against the form of attack on the dignity of people”. She also claimed that a letter had been reported to the president of the boarding school association to remove the drawing.
Toulouse: a pornographic, “shocking” and “degrading” fresco in the canteen of medical interns at the University Hospital of Purpan https://t.co/f9CLKzXZdS
Yeah, that’s not all bad. pic.twitter.com/1QdNgz5yuX
– Rollin T (@thunder_rollin) October 26, 2021
The work, a hijacking of Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix, depicts nude hospital executives practicing various sexual positions, reported France-Blue. An association and a union have been asking management to withdraw it for several days.
Already a controversy three years ago
Questioned by the national radio, interns put forward the humorous side of the fresco or “the tradition”. “I can understand that it bothers but it’s part of rifle culture,” said one of them. It is not sexist, the men are much more humiliated than the women on this fresco ”.
“The rifle culture does not exist, it is called sexual harassment, it is an offense punishable by law”, replied to the radio Isabelle Prono, member of the South union. This recalls that a work hanging on a wall in the guard room had already created controversy three years ago, before being withdrawn.
we can no longer tolerate these images which are not trivial; medical students, staff, most often women, are still faced with machismo and sexism in hospitals and this has serious consequences in terms of psychosocial risks.
– South Social Health 31 (@ sudsante31) 25 October 2021
The drawing would have been made last summer during the renovation of the boarding school.