France became the 14th country to legalize gay marriage on Tuesday.
The measure passed easily in the Socialist-majority Assembly, 331-225, according to the Associated Press, and Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told lawmakers that the first legally recognized weddings could be as early as June.
“We believe that the first weddings will be beautiful and that they’ll bring a breeze of joy, and that those who are opposed to them today will surely be confounded when they are overcome with the happiness of the newlyweds and the families,” she said.
Read our guide to gay-friendly honeymoons in the romantic city of Paris, France.
French civil unions, allowed since 1999, are utilized just as often by heterosexuals as gay and lesbian couples. But that law does not account for adoption, and the strongest opposition in France as far as same-sex couples goes comes when children are involved. According to recent polls, just over half of French are opposed to adoption by same-sex couples–about the same number who said they favored same-sex marriage.
Photo: Melissa Varnadoe
