Lights
February 2nd, 2013, 03:05 PM
The French National Assembly has approved the most important article of a bill to legalise same-sex marriage.
Deputies voted 249-97 in favour of redefining marriage as being an agreement between two people - not just between a man and a woman.
President Francois Hollande's Socialists and their left-wing supporters backed it, opposed by many opposition UMP and centrist MPs.
The bill marks one of France's biggest social reforms since the abolition of the death penalty in 1981.
"We are happy and proud to have taken this first step," Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said. "We are going to establish the freedom for everyone to choose his or her partner for a future together."
UMP MP Philippe Gosselin said the legislation was only the beginning of a trend that the French people did not want.
"Today it is marriage and adoption. Tomorrow it will be medically assisted conception and surrogate mothers."
In September last year, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Lyon, argued that plans to redefine the concept of marriage would open the door to incest and polygamy.
Full story. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21305150)
Even despite some of the cruel opposition, this is excellent news as I'm sure most of us will agree. This is another step towards equality which hopefully the UK will follow suit with this year.
Deputies voted 249-97 in favour of redefining marriage as being an agreement between two people - not just between a man and a woman.
President Francois Hollande's Socialists and their left-wing supporters backed it, opposed by many opposition UMP and centrist MPs.
The bill marks one of France's biggest social reforms since the abolition of the death penalty in 1981.
"We are happy and proud to have taken this first step," Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said. "We are going to establish the freedom for everyone to choose his or her partner for a future together."
UMP MP Philippe Gosselin said the legislation was only the beginning of a trend that the French people did not want.
"Today it is marriage and adoption. Tomorrow it will be medically assisted conception and surrogate mothers."
In September last year, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Lyon, argued that plans to redefine the concept of marriage would open the door to incest and polygamy.
Full story. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21305150)
Even despite some of the cruel opposition, this is excellent news as I'm sure most of us will agree. This is another step towards equality which hopefully the UK will follow suit with this year.