A gay couple victim of homophobic harassment in Lairoux

In Vendée, Lairoux is an almost uneventful village. The town of nearly 600 inhabitants, halfway between Niort and Les Sables-d’Olonne, is popular for its remarkable view over the north of the Poitevin marshes. In spring, ornithologists and ornithophiles can observe the nesting of the white stilt and the crested lapwing. However, the serenity of the town has been disturbed for almost two years by a case that has remained unresolved. That of a gay couple tirelessly harassed, recipients of threatening anonymous letters. A crow that now overshadows the shorebirds of the marsh.

Living in Vendée since 2018, two men have been the target of a series of malicious actions, the first of which date back to October 2024. Since then, their home has been invaded and ransacked, their vehicle has been scratched, the walls of their property have been covered with homophobic tags. One of the messages warns “PD, get out of here”; another, “No gays in Vendée or in our schools…