A bill which seeks to allow gay and
lesbian couples to marry and adopt children cleared France's lower
house of parliament on Tuesday.
The National Assembly approved the
marriage reform with a 320-to-229 vote and sent it to the Senate for
further consideration.
The vote is a victory for President
Francois Hollande, who campaigned on the issue of marriage equality.
The vote comes 10 days after the
chamber approved the bill's most critical article. Deputies voted
249-97 in favor of expanding marriage to include gay and lesbian
couples. They have since considered thousands of amendments to the
bill's text, most of them filed by opponents in the conservative UMP
Party.
“This law is going to extend to all
families the protections guaranteed by the institution of marriage,”
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is quoted as saying by the AP before
Tuesday's vote. “Contrary to what those who vociferate against it
say – fortunately they're in the minority – this law is going to
strengthen the institution of marriage.”
Britain is also debating whether to
legalize marriage equality.