France: Same-Sex Marriage, Adoption Legal as of 2013

France Legalizes Gay Marriage & Adoption

Same-sex marriage will be legal in France in 2013. Gay married couples will also be able to adopt children. This is an early victory for Francois Hollande, whose party platform included legalizing gay marriage.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault  told Parliament, "In the first half of 2013, the right to marriage and adoption will be open to all couples, without discrimination. Our society is evolving, lifestyles and mentalities are changing. The government will respond to that."

In 2011, Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP rejected a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Francois Holland then said that ending marriage discrimination would be part of his Socialist Party's platform. Sarkozy then reversed course, saying that he would legalize gay marriage if re-elected, but his credibility on that issue had already been torpedoed.

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