French MP 'Clucks' to Mock Female Colleague's Speech

French MP Véronique Massonneau was addressing the National Assembly in Paris when she was interrupted by the sound of a colleague clucking like a chicken. Massonneau, a member of the green party Europe Ecology, eventually turned to conservative MP Philippe Le Ray and said, "That's enough. Stop that, I'm not a hen!" according to the International Business Times. But as her speech on pension reform continued, Le Ray kept clucking, and eventually the assembly president had to put a stop to it.

The BBC explains that the word "chicken" can be a derogatory term for a female in France. Critics have been railing against the apparent sexism. Le Ray was fined 25% of his monthly salary, and he called Massonneau to apologize, but she did not accept. During the incident, she says, "I think he was drunk." (More sexism stories.)