Same-sex marriage bill wins support of French lawmakers amid protests

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Paris on Saturday to march against a bill would pave the way for the legalization of marriage and adoption for same-sex couples.    

France's National Assembly on Saturday voted in favor of a key article in the controversial gay equalities bill - that legalizes gay marriage.   

With 249 votes "for" and 97 "against," the article throws out the necessity that marriage must be between two people of the opposite sex.  

It marked the first step towards the legalization of gay marriage - President Francois Hollande's "marriage for everyone" pledge.     

But less popular part of the bill legalizing gay adoption - has yet to be voted on.     

"One can always discuss, we are open for everything, but we should not forget that before everything, there are the children and they have a father and a mother before anything else," said Laure Devillaines, one protester on Saturday.      

French parliament started debating the law Tuesday, following hundreds of thousands of supporters and opponents taking to the Paris streets in separate demonstrations over the January period.     

The debate will wrap up on February 12.    

The law will need final approval by the French Senate to be enshrined into law.


APTN