France: After Socialists Return To Power, Government Prepares For Gay Marriage

On Top Magazine reports: 

France’s June 17 elections gave the Socialist Party of French President Francois Hollande a commanding parliamentary majority, which nearly assures France will become the next European nation to legalize gay marriage.

Hollande’s Socialist Party won 314 of Parliament’s 577 seats, giving the nascent president a free hand with which to enact his liberal reforms. The president can also rely on the support of 27 left-leaning candidates who also won legislative posts. Conservatives lost 111 seats in Sunday’s elections.

A Hollande administration backed by Socialist majorities means good news for supporters of France becoming the 12^th nation to legalize gay nuptials.

As a candidate, Hollande pledged to pursue such legislation.

A communique issued last month by the office of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) reiterated Hollande’s campaign promises to the gay community.

“On the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment against violence and discrimination perpetrated as a result of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

“The Government is determined to challenge prejudice and put an end to discrimination and violence. It will implement the commitment of the President of the Republic to the right to marriage and adoption to gay couples.”

Currently, France recognizes gay couples with PACS, a form of domestic partnership which offers significantly fewer protections for gay couples than marriage.

During the campaign, former President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated his opposition to marriage equality, saying that “For me, a family is a father and a mother, not two fathers or two mothers.”

If approved, France would become the 12^th country to approve such unions, behind Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Holland, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and most recently Denmark.