French parliament rejects same-sex marriage bill
14/06/2011
Submitted by
ILGA-Europe
Original article: http://www.france24.com/en/201106...ects-gay-marriage-bill-homosexuality
France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday rejected a bill to legalise homosexual marriage. The opposition Socialists, who proposed the bill, said they would make legalising gay marriage a priority should they come to power in 2012.
AFP - France's lower house of parliament Tuesday rejected a bill that would have allowed gays to marry.
The house, dominated by the ruling right-wing UMP party, voted by 293 votes to 222 to block the bill, with most left-wing lawmakers backing it and most of the right opposed.
"We are against homophobia but we do not want to alter the image and function of marriage in the collective subconscious," said UMP lawmaker Michel Diefenbacher.
Opposition Socialist party lawmaker Patrick Bloche had called the bill a measure to end a form of discrimination and "pass to a new stage in equality of rights."
Several of France's fellow European Union member states, including Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, have legalised homosexual marriage.
France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday rejected a bill to legalise homosexual marriage. The opposition Socialists, who proposed the bill, said they would make legalising gay marriage a priority should they come to power in 2012.
AFP - France's lower house of parliament Tuesday rejected a bill that would have allowed gays to marry.
The house, dominated by the ruling right-wing UMP party, voted by 293 votes to 222 to block the bill, with most left-wing lawmakers backing it and most of the right opposed.
"We are against homophobia but we do not want to alter the image and function of marriage in the collective subconscious," said UMP lawmaker Michel Diefenbacher.
Opposition Socialist party lawmaker Patrick Bloche had called the bill a measure to end a form of discrimination and "pass to a new stage in equality of rights."
Several of France's fellow European Union member states, including Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, have legalised homosexual marriage.
