French Senate approves gay marriage bill
France is one step closer to allowing couples of the same sex to wed and adopt children after its Senate on Friday approved a landmark bill to legalize gay marriage.
Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, a supporter of the bill, said legalizing gay marriage and enshrining adoption rights “is an act of freedom, it is an act of equality, and it is an act of brotherhood” (link in French).
“Marriage becomes a universal institution,” she added.
Polls have shown that a majority of the French support gay marriage, but are divided on granting adoption rights to partners of the same sex. The Socialist government of President Francois Hollande has backed the “marriage for all” legislation through fervent protests by religious conservatives in the traditionally Roman Catholic country, a split reflected in the 179-to-157 Senate vote.
http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-france-senate-gay-marriage-bill-20130412,0,5802525.story
