French parliament adopts bill legalizing gay marriage and adoptions
Source: Reuters
French parliament approves same-sex marriage law
Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:17am EDT
PARIS (Reuters) - French parliament approved a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and to adopt children on Tuesday, a flagship reform pledge by President Francois Hollande which sparked often violent street protests and a rise in homophobic attacks.
Lawmakers in the lower house National Assembly, where Hollande's Socialists have an absolute majority, passed the bill by 331 votes for and 225 against, making France the 14th country in the world to allow same-sex couples to wed.
(Reporting By Nicholas Vinocur; editing by Mark John)
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE93K08B20130423
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)pampango
(24,692 posts)Though hesitant at first, since polls show a majority of the French favor equal rights for same-sex couples, the center-right Union for a Popular Movement has embraced the demonstrations opposing the bill. The unity around the issue has helped paper over the sharp divisions and rivalries in the party, which is largely rudderless as its leader, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, weighs returning to active politics.
At the margins, the demonstrations have also become more violent and homophobic, with a series of nightly demonstrations last week around Parliament that resulted in clashes with riot police officers and a number of arrests. Even opposition leaders have bemoaned the way harder-right groups have infiltrated the demonstrations, and there has been a small surge in violence against gay men and lesbians, with some beatings and angry, offensive words on social media.
Mr. Hollande and his government have pressed ahead with the bill and condemned homophobia and violence, but the sometimes ugly tone of the protests has prompted the government to accelerate the vote to Tuesday, to get the bill passed and out of the way. Presidential aides say they want the matter finished before another large demonstration planned for this month, though opponents say they will continue to protest in May.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/world/europe/in-france-opposition-to-same-sex-marriage-bill-grows.html
The conservative Union for a Popular Movement (Sarkozy's party before he lost the election) is still embracing the demonstrations against legalizing same-sex marriage - just as republicans do here.
Mass
(27,315 posts)constitutional, and most of them are RW. So, let's wait before celebrating.