Our colleague and friend, Luc de Bernis, passed away on April 6 at the hospital in Montpellier. It is with immense sadness that we learned of his passing and we share in the grief of his loved ones. A very active member of the Equipop board since 2016, Luc was a valuable support and a loyal companion.
Together, we shared many values and convictions. Among them was the belief that health is political. Having contributed for many years to the fight to eradicate maternal and neonatal mortality within several UN agencies, he was convinced of the importance of exposing the social and economic mechanisms of health inequalities, both between individuals and globally. A gynecologist-obstetrician by training, he had practiced in many contexts, both in West Africa and in France, where he continued to consult at two sexual health centers in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. This experience as a healthcare provider regularly led him to express outrage at the deterioration of access to services, particularly abortion. Fighting alongside women to defend their right to choose what to do with their bodies was a matter of course for him. We will remember Luc for his sense of community and social justice, his sensitive intelligence, and his rare ability to listen, to be there for others, and to let himself be touched. He was a bridge builder, a person open to many worlds who encouraged encounters whenever he could. We often talked about his passion for theater and about "Maison Auriolles," where he lived and which welcomed artists and researchers in residence. He cultivated a critical mind and encouraged us to collectively equip ourselves to decipher some of the complexity of reality. Aware of the difficulties of action, never patronizing, always supportive, he rowed with us in the same boat. Lucid, he repeated to us that he was evolving in his feminism alongside us and constantly questioned his place as an ally in the struggles of women around the world. At the last Equipop General Assembly, he introduced his re-election bid to the board of directors by stating: "I am a white man, well over fifty years old, who tries to be a feminist every day and who in any case supports feminist movements, which is why I am committed to Equipop and its mandate. I am ready to continue this commitment if I have your trust." Today, we renew our deep attachment and eternal trust in him.
