There were marches in Lyon (pictured), Toulouse and Marseilles, as well as Paris
Tens of thousands of people have protested in France against plans to legalise same-sex marriage and allow gay couples to adopt.
Police said at least 70,000 took to the streets in Paris; there were other demonstrations in the cities of Lyon, Toulouse and Marseille.
They included Catholic groups and other backers of traditional family rights.
President Francois Hollande has promised to change French law so that gay and lesbian couples can marry.
Despite opposition from more than 1,000 mayors and the Catholic Church, his socialist government approved a bill on the issue earlier this month which will be debated by parliament in January.
France already allows civil unions between same-sex couples, but extending their rights was a campaign pledge of Mr Hollande before he was elected in May.
Pink balloons
Protesters in Paris wore pink T-shirts and scarves and carried pink balloons emblazoned with images of a man and woman holding two children's hands.
Saturday also saw counter-rallies in support of same-sex marriage
"A child needs a father and a mother, he needs the paternal and the maternal side and with this bill that might not be possible any more," said one protestor, Marthe Vignault.
"That's the way it is and we can't go against nature."
Saturday also saw counter-rallies in support of same-sex marriage.
The issue is one of the most divisive Mr Hollande has faced, correspondents say. The head of the French Council of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, recently described gay marriage as "the ultimate deceit".
At present only married couples - not civil union partners - can adopt in France.
A number of European nations, including Sweden and the UK, already allow gay adoption.
Nowadays, homosexual couples’ fight to achieve the same rights as the rest of the twosomes in our society has become a relevant subject of matter in our community. At first gay-marriage was an issue for many people as a major part of the population considered this as unnatural and incoherent. However, years have passed and some countries have adapted their legislation to allow homosexual matrimony.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless recently thousands of people in France, mainly catholic groups, have gathered to protest against Hollande’s aim to legalise gay and lesbian marriage and adoption. The public demonstration was held in Paris and pink balloons were distributed between the traditional and religious people to symbolize the idea that children need to be raised my a mother and a father and having gay parents will only impact on them in a negative and harmful way. Therefore they also emphasize their objection to gay marriage as they qualify homosexual civil-union as going “…against nature…”
Despite this rejection, the French president is likely to continue to approve laws that consent gay couples to marry and adopt children. Personally, I agree with François Hollande’s opinion as nobody has the right to judge others since everyone is born free and we, as individuals, must have the right to make our own decisions. What’s more, I firmly support the idea that what really is important when talking about raising children is to transmit them the correct principles with kindness, love and show them the importance of tolerance, forgiveness and respect for other and ourselves.
So… What is your opinion about this recent demonstration against gay marriage? Should the president consider the option of not allowing homosexual-marriage and adoption?
Feel free to comment.
Thank you for another incredibly interesting and today occurring controversy Sofia! As a matter of fact, I personally know a child who has been indirectly raised by a homosexual couple and based on his explanations, he deals with it with empathy and in a very natural way. Moreover, I've currently had a cup of tea with him and naturally discussed some of the points you engage me to think about in your article. Truth is, at first he was shocked about not having a mother, despite this, he continues to thank his parents for being so natural about it and make him understand that it's not the biological features in sex that will make you be a good father or mother but how you transmit those values and principles it is stereotyped a babe has to be submitted to. Answering your question, I am a supporter of people demonstrating and fighting for their values nevertheless if they agree with me or not. About François Hollande, as the president of the republic he should act as he said he was going to as his supporters have voted him to do what he promised.
ReplyDeleteI find this article really interesting so now I will show my ideas about this matter. I agree with some of the facts that have already been exposed, as I think that we have been raised in a world where, until a few years ago, society didn't accept homosexual couples. Nowadays this fact has changed, at least in a slight way, and now it’s more usual to see a homosexual couple in the street, but still some people doesn´t want to accept them, as they think it goes against nature. I agree with Mr Hollande, actual president in France, because in my opinion gays have all the rights to adopt a child, and the important thing is to show their son or daughter the important values of life, as love, tolerance or respect to other people. There's no matter about this child having a father and a mother, or both of them being men, because he could be perfectly be raised up in both situations. To sum up, everyone is born free, and if a person is homosexual they wouldn't have to be judged or criticized by others just because they don’t follow the traditional stereotype.
ReplyDeleteIn the other hand, not everyone have the same opinion in different topics of life, so if they want to protest about the gay adoption they have all the right to do it, obviously in a disciplined way and without criticizing or insulting others, even dough I don’t think in the same way as them.
While I was reading through this article, i didn’t believe the things that I was seeing. In my opinion it’s incredible that they are still people who think that homosexual couples can’t adopt a child. Before considering them as homosexuals they are people and so they have the same rights as everyone, it’s not so good seen as being a “normal” couple but you can’t ban them of adopting a child only because you consider that it’s going against nature. Another point that you have to keep in mind it’s the point of view of the child who is adopted, maybe he doesn’t mind having two fathers and he prefers having this family to not having any family. No one has the right to ban someone on doing anything, so according to this I totally agree in the fact that gay can adopt.
ReplyDeleteWhilst reading this article I became flabbergasted about the fact that still people don’t understand how society has changed. Firstly homosexual marriages were not accepted at all but as time flew by people started accepting the fact that same-sex couples could appear.
ReplyDeleteAbout the fact that we cannot go against nature, well, in my opinion is what we have been doing for part of the world’s life. How much of ten do you drive to work? That is going against nature, even using a piece of paper goes against nature, what is nature? And, when do we not go against it. Since ancient Greece, gay partners have been going on. Talking about the first fact, which was said, I think a child does not need to have a parental and maternal side, both sides can be covered by any of which. If you agree with that fact what do you then think about widows taking care of their children?
Many countries have been applying this law, which does not affect heterosexual partners and it has worked, it has only helped and has not gone against anyone.
So, why not make it happen?