France becomes 14th nation to allow same-sex marriage

I think there are lessons to be learned here for the U.S.

There have been massive protests against same-sex marriage in France, but politicians were undeterred and voted to allow it anyway. This is not an issue you can compromise on: Either you allow same-sex marriage or you dont. Civil unions, while better than nothing, are not the same thing.

Anyway, France bears watching. If, as I suspect will happen, the controversy quickly fades and people just go on about their lives, our politicians will have a firsthand example of how same-sex marriage isn't as big a deal as its opponents make it out to be.

http://news.yahoo.com/sore-losers-cant-accept-fra … 13251.html

By BearinFW | 05/19/2013 03:53 PM | 5 comments

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BTW, House of Commons voted to approved gay marriage. If House of Lords goes along, England and Wales would join the same-sex marriage group. Apparently Scotland and Northern Ireland control their own domestic affairs?

BearinFW 05/22/2013 12:53 AM

It sounds like Brazil is well on the way to being nation No. 15, but the final i's still need dotting and the t's crossing. Same-sex marriage is legal in 14 of 27 states, and a recent ruling clears the way for it being available on request in the other 13 states. However, a vote in the Legislature is still pending and apparently the Supreme Court could overturn the ruling. Brazil's certainly a lot closer than we are :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22534552

BearinFW 05/20/2013 12:52 AM

I'd feel better about the Supreme Court case if it were coming later instead of soon. I just don't think the court will be brave enough to allow marriage nationwide. My guess is that the court will view this case as similar to abortion and not want to make a contentious social change. I don't think marriage equality is like abortion but I'll bet the judges do.

Justice Ginsburg has already hinted as much.

On the other hand, Kennedy did write the opinion on the top gay rights case decided so far - Lawrence v. Texas,

BearinFW 05/19/2013 07:06 PM

I've always heard that France ranks highest in percentage of their population who are Roman Catholic. Then I found online that France is 89% Roman Catholic. So, I think there will be more controversy to come.

What is so hard for religious people to understand about how a national government chooses to treat people and the way they choose to treat people within their religious structure? What is it that makes them want to impose their particular set of orthodoxy on the rest of us, and against the best intentions of the rest of the nation?

rjzip 05/19/2013 07:01 PM

Since this story didn't say, I thought I'd look up the countries so you guys wouldn't have to.

There are 11 countries where same-sex marriage is already in effect nationwide: Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Spain.

Three countries have recently approved gay marriage but it hasn't taken effect yet: Uruguay, New Zealand and France.

Mexico and the U.S. allow same-sex marriage in some jurisdictions. The 12 U.S. states are: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa and Washington, plus D.C.

Politically, France is probably the most important country to vote to allow same-sex marriage so far. So I think it's very important that things go well there as an example to other major nations.

BearinFW 05/19/2013 04:53 PM