FRANCE: Anti-Gay Activists Hang Marriage Banners From 170 Paris Bridges

Before the beginning of today's marriage equality debate in the French National Assembly, this happened:

"A mom and a dad, it's elementary", "No to fictional filiation", "Having a child is not a right", said the banners. "This is freedom of expression," explained Frigide Barjot from anti-gay wedding collective Manif Pour Tous. "We demand freedom for MPs to vote their conscience. We want jobs, not (Justice Minister Christiane) Taubira's law." About 400 activists hung the banners overnight from 170 bridges on the Seine and overpasses on the Peripherique circular highway around the capital, Barjot told reporters at a press conference aboard a barge on the river. Once it reached the Eiffel Tower, activists unfurled two more banners, one reading "For civil marriage" and the other "A mom and a dad, there's nothing better for a child".

The debate is expected to go on for two weeks. Right wing parties reportedly have 5000 amendments to the bill waiting.

Gay Star News has more about the amendments introduced today.

During the first day of the debate, Jacques Bompard, assembly member for the extreme-right National Front party proposed at least seven amendments, including establishing polygamy and incest. In his amendments Bompard said ‘if we follow the reasoning of the government, then … it … should remove all other restrictions … and discrimination based on’, the number of people entering marriage (ie polygamy), incest, and age (ie child marriage). Bompard also suggested that civil marriage should be supressed.  In another amendment Bompard suggested that a child adopted to, or born in, a same-sex marriage would automatically take the first name of the registry officer in order ‘to recognize the merit of registrars’. Thierry Mariani of the main centre right opposition UMP party proposed an amendment to protect the father’s family name from ‘being destroyed’. Mariani, and other MPs from center and far right parties proposed several amendments to ‘counter’ a possible wave of ‘gay migration’ to France which will allegedly open up due to marriage equality.