French senate votes yes on gay marriage

[Penny Lane 8,159]

A gay marriage bill has been passed by the French senate, after more than a week of intense and sometimes acrimonious debate.

The bill opening marriage to gay couples will now return to the National Assembly for a second reading - which is seen as a technicality as MPs already approved the move on February 12.

On Wednesday, ahead of the Senate vote, about 5,000 people took part in a protest in Paris to highlight an increase in homophobic attacks.

Gay rights activists have said reports of verbal and physical assaults on gays have surged amid rabid debate over the same-sex marriage bill.

Elizabeth Ronzier, head of SOS homophobie, said there had been a 30% rise in reports of homophobic and transphobic assaults last year compared to 2011. Reports are said to have noticeably surged when the debate began in the autumn.

"And in the two months to the end of February this year, we received the same amount of testimonies that we would normally get over a period of six months," she said.

The shocking photo of, Wilfred de Bruijn, who suffered a horrific homophobic attack in Paris, has been used as an emblem for gay rights in France and has come to symbolise the end to five months of bitterly divisive protests.

The anti-gay marriage opposition, supported by the Catholic Church, has already staged marches in the French capital.

During the Senate debate, UMP Senator Charles Revet said: "Marriage is between a man and a woman with a view to procreation. Two men or two women will never be able to have children"

Support for the same-sex marriage bill has been led by president Francois Hollande’s Socialist party. Some advocates for the bill have claimed they have been threatened by far-right opponents of the legislation. Socialist senator Esther Benbassa has received threatening phone calls, emails and letters for days and also had her car vandalised.

In the United Kingdom the House of Commons has already approved plans to introduce gay marriage, the legislation will soon be scrutinised by the House of Lords.

On Wednesday Uruguay legalised gay marriage, making the South American country the third in the Americas to do so.

France joins 11 other countries including Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway and South Africa where same-sex marriage is legal.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/12/france-gay-marriage_n_3067577.html

Edited April 12, 2013 by Evylin

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[Penny Lane 8,159]

[Darnell 8,478]

dad-gummit, now the next crop of ladyboys will be immigrating to France on family-visas.

grrr.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

dad-gummit, now the next crop of ladyboys will be immigrating to France on family-visas.

grrr.

Well, at least you got a ladyboy running yer state.

[JohnR! 5,495]

During the Senate debate, UMP Senator Charles Revet said: "Marriage is between a man and a woman with a view to procreation. Two men or two women will never be able to have children"

This is one of my favorite arguments. It makes me laugh every single time. It is up on my list next to the Vitameatavegamin and the Candy Factory episode of Lucy!

Edited April 12, 2013 by Gegel

[Darnell 8,478]

Well, at least you got a ladyboy running yer state.

I would like to formally ask you to stop staring at the topless photos of the Governor of Texas.

Yes, we all know he has man-boobs and looks good in drag and lives in the #4 Transgender'd City in the USA.

Please? Purty Please?

Edited April 12, 2013 by Darnell

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I would like to formally ask you to stop staring at the topless photos of the Governor of Texas.

Yes, we all know he has man-boobs and looks good in drag and lives in the #4 Transgender'd City in the USA.

Please? Purty Please?

You folks put him in office and keep him there.

[duraaraa 203]

This is great news. I really wish that the U.S. could separate religion from laws enough to pass something like this. Some people have religions where homosexuality isn't condemned, after all.

Then, if we want to talk about fairness, there are people who are born with ambiguous gender. Why should these people have the right to marry either sex when those born with a clear gender don't?

Edited April 16, 2013 by duraaraa

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This is great news. I really wish that the U.S. could separate religion from laws enough to pass something like this. Some people have religions where homosexuality isn't condemned, after all.

The day will come. And it won't be long.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The day will come. And it won't be long.

Soon, there will be dogs and cats living together.

It is another sign of the end times.

Edited April 16, 2013 by The Patriot

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Soon, there will be dogs and cats living together.

It is another sign of the end times.

We had cats and dogs living together when I was a kid. there were three cats and two dogs in the house living together. Here we are 4 decades later...

[GandD 5,966]

We had cats and dogs living together when I was a kid. there were three cats and two dogs in the house living together. Here we are 4 decades later...

Its fine as long as they don't get married

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Its fine as long as they don't get married

Of course, the slippery slope. How could I forget.

[duraaraa 203]

If a dog and cat were to fall in love, I'd have no objections. I'd watch the YouTube video of the dog/cat wedding, and would watch the Romeo and Juliet-esque Disney movie based on it.