General

France upholds gay marriage ban

Court rules ban is constitutional

France’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the country’s ban on gay marriage is in line with the constitution. A lesbian couple, Corrine Cestino and Sophie Hasslauer, who have four children and have lived together for 15 years, brought the case to court in a bid to have France join Spain and Belgium in legalizing same-sex marriages. Most French people are in favour of overturning the ban, with 58 per cent approving and 35 per cent opposing gay marriage, according to a TNS Sofres survey. But the court upheld two articles in the civil code that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Gay marriage advocates are hoping the ruling will make gay marriage an election issue, a hope also shared by far-right National Party leader Marine Le Pen, who opposes gay marriage but feels it is up to French people to decide, not the Constitutional Court.

BBC News

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: