Paris' annual Gay Pride parade on
Saturday was brightened by the promise that the Socialist government
of President Francois Hollande would legalize gay marriage in 2013.
The always colorful parade followed
Friday's announcement.
Dominique Bertinotti, junior minister
for families, told Le Parisien that gay couples would be
allowed to marry and adopt children together “within a year.”
“They will have the same rights and
duties as any married couple,” she said.
“This is a special parade because it
is the first time we have a government, a president, a parliament who
are in favor of progress,” Nicolas Gougain, spokesman for the gay
rights group Inter-LGBT, told the AFP.
Many in the crowd, however, remained
skeptical.
“We need to wait and see if these are
not just empty promises,” said one reveler. “But it would be
good if it does happen so that people who want to get married can.”
Currently, France recognizes gay
couples with PACS, a form of domestic partnership which offers
significantly fewer protections than marriage. Only married couples
may adopt.
Conservatives have balked at the idea
of marriage equality in the largely Catholic nation. However, having
lost their parliamentary majority during last month's elections, they
remain powerless to stop it.
(Related: Spain's
Constitutional Court to rule on gay marriage.)