FRANCE: National Assembly Approves Article One Of Marriage Equality Bill

This morning the French National Assembly approved Article One of it marriage equality bill by a vote of 249-97! BBC News reports:

The French National Assembly has approved the most important article of a bill to legalise same-sex marriage. Deputies voted 249-97 in favour of redefining marriage as being an agreement between two people – not just between a man and a woman. President Francois Hollande’s Socialists and their left-wing supporters backed it, opposed by many opposition UMP and centrist MPs.

The proposals have generated protests and counter-protests for months. Opinion polls suggest that around 55-60% of French people support gay marriage, though only about 50% approve of gay adoption. Correspondents say the ease with which the article passed suggests the bill as a whole will pass. Debates are expected to go on for more than a week, as MPs discuss hundreds of amendments, most of them filed by the centre-right opposition.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité! Also: Suck it, Brian Brown!

Gay Star News has more on what’s next.

In addition deputies also scrapped an amendment proposed by the right wing that could have mayors who object to gay marriage an option to opt out. All French mayors will thus be obliged, by law, to conduct same-sex marriage. The various articles of the bill have to debated article by article in a voting process that is expected to last for several days. Then the bill will be put to the vote in the French Senate and signed by the French president. With luck, France may legalize gay marriage before Valentine’s Day.