Christian Vanneste, who, in one of a series of anti-gay speeches he made in Parliament, called gays a “threat to humanity,” is the first person to be prosecuted under France’s law against homophobic speech.

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His speeches, in the lower house, are protected by parliamentary privilege but Vanneste then repeated the remarks in interviews with two newspapers which printed them.

The charge was laid by the public prosecutor in Lille laid the charge following complaints by three LGBT rights groups.

Act Up-Paris, OS Homophobie, and Sneg – an LGBT business association, called the remarks repugnant and said they could lead to physical attacks on gays.

The UMP party has distanced itself from Vanneste, 58, a professor of philosophy.

He does not deny making the remarks to the papers but says they were far from being illegal. Vanneste says that he did not say homosexuality was dangerous “only that it is inferior to heterosexuality and could, in extreme circumstances, become a danger to mankind.”

Vanneste now faces a possible $25,000 fine and/or jail time.