Tag: France

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Anti-gay protesters arrested attempting to camp out at National Assemby

French police today arrested approximately 70 anti-gay activists today as they tried to set up camp outside the National Assembly in advance of a final April 23 vote on marriage equality, Reuters reports:

Around 70 people were arrested early on Monday and placed in custody after they tried to set up a campsite outside the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, near the banks of the Seine river, a police official said. 
Another 19 protesters were stopped by police for identity checks late on Sunday as they waited for Interior Minister Manuel Valls to leave a concert hall in the capital.

Violent rhetoric by anti-gay groups is being ratcheted up in advance of the vote, with one anti-gay leader declaring blood would be spilled should the legislature vote for equality.

The April 23 date is a new one, weeks earlier than initially planned.

(via Towleroad)

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Christian Broadcasting Network is NOT happy about marriage equality in France

From the video report: “The Socialist government of President Francois Hollande will essentially destroy and then redefine the traditional institution of marriage for the benefit of a relatively tiny part of the population.  As is the case in most western nations, homosexuals account for less than 5% of the population in France.”

Polls show a majority of French citizens support marriage equality.

Catch enough buzz words in there?  Socialist?  Homosexual? Destroy/redefine traditional marriage.

It must be killing Brian Brown that he lost this one.

However, on the bright side, he did get some nice all-expenses paid trips to Paris.  How nice for him.

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France: Senate passes reading of full marriage equality bill

The articles have been voted on one by one. And now the French Senate has passed the marriage equality bill as a whole.

From Edge LGBT News:

The French Senate has voted to legalize same-sex marriage in France, putting a landmark bill on track to become law by summer.

The vote in the upper house of parliament – led by President Francois Hollande’s Socialists – comes despite boisterous protests. Opponents – mostly conservatives and fervent Roman Catholics – have sought to defend traditional marriage.

Both houses of parliament will now take up a second reading to consider minor Senate changes to the bill passed in February by the National Assembly, also controlled by a Socialist-led majority.

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France: Adoption article for same-sex couples passes in marriage equality bill

As the marriage equality bill is being debated and voted on article by article, tonight the French Senate approved the portion of the bill that guarantees adoption rights to same-sex couples.

Anti-gay groups had been hoping this aspect of the bill would be their last stronghold.

Happily, they were wrong.

From Le Monde:

Après l’adoption de l’article 1 du projet de loi sur le “mariage pour tous”, ouvrant la voie au mariage homosexuel, le Sénat a donné son feu vert, mercredi 10 avril, à l’adoption par des couples de même sexe. Les débats ont été monopolisés par les sénateurs de droite, qui ont affirmé à nouveau que l’adoption de ce texte ouvrirait la voie à la procréation médicale assistée (PMA) et à la gestation pour autrui (GPA) puisque, selon Gérard Roche, “il n’y a pas assez d’enfants adoptables”.

Here’s what Bing translator says that means:

After the adoption of article 1 of the draft law on “marriage for all” paving the way for same-sex marriage, the Senate gave its go-ahead Wednesday, April 10, to adoption by same sex couples. The debates were monopolized by the right senators, who said again that the adoption of this text would pave the way to the assisted medical procreation (PMA) and surrogacy (GPA) since, according to Gérard Roche, “there not enough adoptable children”.

In any case – Vive la France!

Forward!

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France: Marriage for all – Senators say ‘yes’

Sources are reporting that the French Senate has approved the marriage equality bill in France by a vote of 179-157.

This is the Google translation of the first article I could find:

In France today, the Senate approved by 179 votes against 157 the first article of the bill on gay marriage, the most important, who opens the marriage to persons of the same sex.
 
This article was adopted “in conformity”, that is to say, without modification from the first reading vote in the National Assembly.  

This vote becomes final unless the entire bill is rejected after consideration by the Senate. It will not be subjected to a second reading in the National Assembly.


“Despite attempts to obstruct the right, the Senate just adopted Article 1 which allows same-sex couples to marry, “said François Rebsamen PS in a statement after the vote.

“The adoption of this article by a vote of the entire Senate majority, puts an end to the discrimination that resulted from sexual choices of citizens,” he added. “Given the abuses that took place either by manifestations of violence in the street, either by verbal excesses in the chamber, the vote on this article marks a victory for the fight against homophobia, tolerance and the of democracy,” he concluded.

More from AmericaBlog:

“The French Senate just voted on the most important provision of the proposed gay marriage law, and passed it. That means we’ve basically won. But there are still a few more steps before gay marriage is legal. Apparently, the way it works over there — and I’ve been conversing with a friend in Paris via Facebook for the blow-by-blow — the law is broken up into its component parts. And each part of the law gets voted on individually. In this case, the marriage part just got voted on and passed. The next step is for the other parts of the law to be voted on (it’s almost like voting on amendments, to put it in American parlance). Then, once all the parts are voted on, the Senate will one more time vote on the ENTIRE thing. But since they already voted in favor of the gay marriage portion of the law, passage of the entire pack is all but assured.”

(source: AFP)

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Paris: Gay couple beaten in homophobic attack

A Paris gay couple were brutally beaten this weekend. French gay rights groups say the recent protests against same-sex marriage have led to a rise in anti-gay physical attacks.

From The Local:

According to [Wilfred] de Bruijn, he was attacked with his boyfriend in the 19th arrondissement of Paris on Saturday night simply because they were gay. France’s gay rights groups say the savage beating comes as homophobic incidents are on the rise.

They blame the increasingly radical and stubborn anti-gay marriage movement.

Hours after being subjected to the beating, De Bruijn put the photo on his Facebook page. It has since been shared thousands of times across social media.

“Sorry to show you this,” the victim wrote. “It’s the face of homophobia. Last night 19th arr Paris, Olivier and I were badly beaten up just for walking arm in arm. I woke up in an ambulance covered in blood, missing tooth and broken bones around the eye. I’m home now. Very sad. Olivier takes care of me. Forbidden to work for at least 10 days.”

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France: National Assembly approves marriage equality 329-229

France’s lower house of parliament has approved a sweeping bill to legalize gay marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt children.  The bill passed by a vote of 329-229.

President Francois Hollande’s Socialists have pushed the measure through the National Assembly, and now, the bill heads to the Senate which is also controlled by the Socialists.

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France: 1st article of same-sex marriage bill passes with ease

We’re on our way! Vive la France!

From the BBC: The French National Assembly has approved the most important article of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Deputies voted 249-97 in favor of 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.

Correspondents say the ease with which the article passed suggests the bill as a whole will pass. Another key measure expected to pass would allow gay couples to adopt children.

Opinion polls suggest that around 55-60% of French people support gay marriage, though only about 50% approve of gay adoption.

All articles of the bill must be debated one by one, in a voting process that should take several days.

Then the entire bill goes to the French Senate, and hopefully to the French president for his signature. It’s possible that France could make marriage equality a reality by Valentine’s Day.

(via JMG)

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Argentina sends message of support for marriage equality to France

When lawmakers in France vote yes to legalize same-sex marriage (fingers crossed), the country will become the 12th in the world where gays and lesbians can wed.

Argentina joined that elite list in 2010. Supporters, activists and couples in love gathered on Sunday at the Plaza Francia in Buenos Aires to send a message of support.

Ah, love….

(via Advocate)