French Parliament Prepares to Debate Legalizing Gay Marriage

Thousands of people marched through Paris on Sunday to support gay marriage and adoption rights in a final demonstration before France’s National Assembly meets to begin debating a controversial gay marriage bill. The bill has sparked major protests in France, regardless of the fact that public polls show the measure is approved by a majority of the population. The government’s green and socialist majority are up against the conservative opposition, who have already lodged more than 5,000 amendments to the legislation. A new survey (by Ifop), published on Saturday shows that the percentage of the French population in support of legalizing same-sex marriage has risen to 63%. According to police, the march attracted over 125,000 people. French President Francois Hollande promised during his campaign to legalize gay marriage within a year of taking office in May of 2012. The two-week debate will constitute one of the biggest social reforms since the abolition of the death penalty in 1981.