France's National Assembly has adopted legislation allowing homosexual couples to marry and adopt children. The legislation, a key election pledge of Socialist President Francois Hollande, was backed by 329 deputies and was opposed by 229 after months of frenzied debate.
The formal vote came 10 days after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favour of its key article which redefines marriage as a contract between two people rather than between a man and a woman.
France's National Assembly Passes Gay Marriage Vote
The first and most important article of a controversial law that will allow gay couples to marry and adopt children was overwhelmingly approved by France's National Assembly.
Advertisement
The Senate, the upper house of parliament, will debate the law from April 2.
Gay marriage has proved to be a highly divisive issue in officially secular but overwhelmingly Catholic France, with hundreds of thousands taking part in protest marches.
![Thousands Support Gay Marriage in Paris]( "Thousands Support Gay Marriage in Paris")
Two days before a key parliamentary debate on the hugely divisive issue, thousands of gay rights campaigners packed the streets of Paris to call for the legalization of gay marriage.
The anti-gay lobby is set to stage a new march on March 24.
Opinion polls suggest a clear majority of French voters support the right of gay couples to wed and a narrower majority favour them being granted the right to adopt as couples.
Gay men and women can already adopt as individuals if approved by social services.
A separate law on providing medically assisted conception to gay couples, already extended to heterosexual couples unable to conceive, will be debated later in the year.
Source: AFP
Thousands Support Gay Marriage in Paris
Two days before a key parliamentary debate on the hugely divisive issue, thousands of gay rights campaigners packed the streets of Paris to call for the legalization of gay marriage.
Advertisement
The anti-gay lobby is set to stage a new march on March 24.
Opinion polls suggest a clear majority of French voters support the right of gay couples to wed and a narrower majority favour them being granted the right to adopt as couples.
Gay men and women can already adopt as individuals if approved by social services.
A separate law on providing medically assisted conception to gay couples, already extended to heterosexual couples unable to conceive, will be debated later in the year.
Source: AFP
Karl Lagerfeld Backs Gay Marriage at Paris Couture Show
Karl Lagerfeld, a German fashion designer used the finale of his Chanel haute couture show in Paris to signal his support for gay marriage.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Lifestyle and Wellness News
Amid the challenges of caring for newborns and toddlers, a study notes a rising trend of new parents seeking social media's help for managing their children.
Lack of friends and family visits is tied to a 39% increased risk of mortality that can be used to develop effective therapies associated with social isolation.
Compared to wearing sun-protective clothes and avoiding the sun, using sunscreen is the least effective way to prevent sunburn on the skin.
Bacterial diversity in the human gut is benefited by eating fruit and vegetables with microorganisms of probiotic and health-promoting characteristics.
New research challenges the common notion that couples achieve better weight loss results.