People march in ”La Manif pour Tous” (Demonstration for All) against France’s legalization of same-sex marriage. Visible signs read “a child is not a right.”
(Photo: Reuters/Benoit Tessier)

BY CATHERINE MORPETH
dot429

On Sunday, February 2, over 100,000 protesters gathered in Paris and Lyon to accuse the government of “family-phobia,” due to recent planned policies to introduce gender equality lessons in schools as well as the recent legalization of same-sex marriage.

Anger has been increasing recently due to newspaper speculation that the French government intends to teach gender theory to primary school children. Many newspapers’ claims spiraled out of control, with some reporting that the government intends to teach children how to masturbate and reject their own sexual identity. The government has denied that any of this speculation is true. Many conservatives in France have struggled to accept the legalization of equal marriage since the law was passed on May 18, 2013, leading to a variety of protests

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France’s high court ruled that mayors in France do not have the right to deny LGBT couples from marrying. The decision was made on October 18 and stated that religious or moral beliefs are not excuses.

With the five-page ruling, the decision was made that, “Freedom of conscience is not violated by the officiating of weddings” and that officials must “apply the law and guarantee the proper functioning and neutrality of the civil service.”

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If a breast is best, why should gay dads have to settle for giving their kids the bottle? That’s the thinking that has led one French nurse to offer her services as a surrogate breast feeder. An advert, published on e-loue.com by a 29-year-old woman who self identifies as a nurse, is in French but a rough translation reads:

“I am a young mother in good health … and I’m renting out my breasts for breastfeeding infants. I’m in the Paris region and I can offer up to a dozen feeds a day for your baby. Gay men in couples are not able to breastfeed … Breastfeeding helps babies be healthier because breast milk gives babies complete nutrition.”

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Vincent Autin and his fiance Bruno said yes. The first same-sex marriage was celebrated Wednesday shortly before 6 pm in France, at Montpellier’s town hall.

After months of debates and demonstrations, during which strong homophobic ideas were heard, it was a relief for the marriage equality advocates to see the law become a reality.

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A number of demonstrations across the globe this weekend led to violence perpetrated by those opposed to LGBT equality.

In Ukraine, about 100 gay rights activists held the country’s first ever pride rally in Kiev, even though a court had canceled it for security concerns. Police nonetheless protected the small rally, arresting 13 Orthodox Christians who tried to break up the march. One activist broke through the cordon and tried to slap down the gay rights banners, but was quickly seized by police. Though not a very large display, it was still a milestone for LGBT people in Ukraine, where lawmakers have tried to ban “pro-gay propaganda.”

Police did less to protect LGBT activists who marched in Moscow despite being denied a permit to do so. Over 30 activists were arrested, and police did little to protect them from the violence of Orthodox Christian counter-protesters, even when they were in custody. The above photo shows activist Nikolai Alekseev being punched in the face while already under arrest — he was unable to defend himself and police did not intervene. More photos of the demonstrations, violence, and arrests can be found at Metro News Russia and Sky News.

Read more at ThinkProgress.org

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BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

The French National Assembly on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would extend marriage and adoption rights to gay and lesbian couples. The 331-225 vote took place less than two weeks after the country’s Senate approved the measure.

The measure’s supporters, however, have become increasingly concerned in recent weeks with rhetoric against the bill they contend has sparked a spate of anti-gay violence across France. National Assembly President Claude Bartolone on Monday received a letter that contained gunpowder. French police reportedly placed water canons outside the building to deter those who may have wanted to try and disrupt the vote.

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Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

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Protestors gathered in Paris to oppose same-sex marriage and adoption rights.

BY ZACK FORD
ThinkProgress

The French Parliament prepares for its final vote on marriage equality next week, and opponents of gay and lesbian marriage equality have promised violence and homophobic attacks have begun to increase. French President François Hollande has denounced these reactions.

On Wednesday, several thousand protesters took to the streets of Paris, leading to cars and public property being damaged, as well as police officers and journalists being attacked. Wednesday night, four people carried out an attack at a gay bar, punching the bar manager, throwing chairs through windows, and causing other material damage. On Monday, 70 anti-gay protesters were arrested for attempting to set up a campsite outside the National Assembly.

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Protesters gather in Paris to oppose same-sex marriage

BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Washington Blade

More than 350,000 people marched through the streets of Paris last Sunday to protest the French government’s proposal that would extend marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples.

The Roman Catholic Church, Jewish and Muslim groups and right wing political parties endorsed the three separate marches spearheaded by comedian Frigide Barjot that converged near the Eiffel Tower. Same-sex marriage opponents traveled from across the country to attend what Charles Roncier, a gay blogger who is an assistant editor-in-chief for the website VIH.org, told the Washington Blade from the French capital that Sunday’s demonstration that organizers claim drew more than 1 million people was the largest against the proposal that “we’ve seen so far.”

The country’s lawmakers are expected to begin debate on the proposal on Jan. 29. Even though President François Hollande’s Socialist Party controls both chambers of the French Parliament, Roncier said he expects a lengthy debate.

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Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

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A few weeks after the new Prime Minister of France, Jean-Marc Ayrault, made a big splash announcement about legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption, reactions have started to pop-up worldwide.

France is a country that does not allow same-sex marriage nor adoption for gay and lesbian couples and has been against this for a long time.

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The post French react to Prime Minister’s same-sex marriage pledge first appeared on Lesbian.com.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault issued a statement Friday confirming that the new socialist government will legalize marriage equality and same-sex parent adoptions.

Reports Reuters:

“The government has made it an objective for the next few months to work on implementing its campaign commitments on the fight against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity,” Ayrault’s office said in a statement.

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