Finally France Legalises Gay Marriage

The French parliament has become the 14th in the world to pass a law extending marriage to same sex couples. After a fractious and sometimes violent public debate, MPs voted by 331 to 225 in favour of the measure, which also allows gay couples to adopt children. Minutes before the historic vote, a protestor dressed in pink - the colour adopted by those opposed to the measure - was forcibly removed from the chamber. President Francois Hollande made changing the law an electoral priority, much to the anger of religious groups: Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders in France all opposed the legislation. They formed a loose protest coalition with the fractured UMP conservative opposition party, which had been languishing in the polls after Nicolas Sarkozy's defeat in the 2012 elections. But French polls revealed a gradual shift in public opinion: in a recent survey 58% said they supported same-sex marriage, while 53% opposed adoption by gay parents. The debate has led to violent clashes on the streets of France, which organisers of the opposition coalition blamed on far-right extremists infiltrating their marches. A threatening letter was even sent to the speaker of the Assemblee Nationale which contained traces of gunpowder and the message: "You wanted war and you've got it." Human rights groups say the language of the movement, known as 'A Protest for Everyone' has been so toxic, it has led to a spike in homophobic attacks. France becomes the latest country to approve marriage for everyone, after New Zealand and Uruguay. A bill in the United Kingdom is progressing through Parliament. It won overwhelming support in a free vote in the House of Commons and now moves to the report stage and a third reading.