Gay Marriage Is Coming To France

On Sunday France's Socialist Party won a commanding number of seats in the national legislature, virtually assuring that President Francois Hollande's promise of marriage equality will be fulfilled.

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 12th 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.

France would become the 12th nation with full marriage equality after Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Holland, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, and Denmark, who approved their law earlier this month. No timetable is provided in the above-linked article. (Tipped by JMG reader Straight Grandmother)