France, Putin, and Same-Sex Marriage

No one was more surprised than the French at the popular outcry when Socialist President Hollande carried through on his campzign prpmise to legalise same-sex marriage in face of protests It's an issue that has divided French society for months, but this Tuesday, the National Assembly finally approved a bill making France the 14th country in the world to allow same-sex marriage. But the past months have seen widespread demonstrations, for and against, and even violent homophobic attacks. The oposition to the law, which also opens adoption to same-sex couples, remains strong and vocal even after the vote. Members of Parliament from the country’s main opposition party, Sarkozy's center-right Union for a Popular Movement, had earlier announced that they would challenge the legality of the new law before the Constitutional Council, the French high court that rules on matters of constitutionality. An opposition movement called La Manif Pour Tous, or Protest for All, say they intend to continue to demonstrate. On Tuesday night, hundreds of demonstrators congregated in front of the National Assembly, where opponents have held daily protests. Several dozen violent protesters, some wearing balaclavas, clashed with the riot police, but most remained peaceful. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have marched in cities all across France to protest the law, with much of their attention focused on adoption by gay couples. The opponents have deplored what they call a threat to the foundations of French society and an injustice for children who will be raised by parents of the same sex. The tagline for La Manif Pour Tous was "All Born from a Man and a Woman." The Guardian, the leading Labor-left newspaper in Britain, expressed concern about the rightwing "rabble-rousers". And if The Guardian was surprised, so were French pollsters. All the opinion polls showed that a large majority of French people (58%) favoured gay marriage and 49% backed adoption by homosexual couples. But month after month, the poll numbers fell. Everyone, from the newly elected Socialist government to gay movement leaders, underestimated the power of conservative groups. But, while rhe world vuews France as an avant-garde nation with very open sexual and societal mores, in fact, France is still a mainly Catholic country. And the Church stood very strongly against the marriage-for-all bill. So in January, when the debate started at the National Assembly, the national consensus fell to pieces. The French media are quick to mock the excesses of some anti-gay politicians and preachers in the US, but over the past few weeks France has had to face the fact of its own deep divisions concerning gay marriage and adoption. Now that the bill has been passed, the first same-sex marriage will be celebrated in June. Dominique Bertinotti, the family minister, said:" It's time for healing." But the question is, can the French easily get over it? The anti-gay marriage movement has more demonstrations planned for May, and some MPs have suggested they wil overturn the law as soon as they find themselves with a parliamentary majority. Can those two Frances really make peace? One prominent voice siding with the anti-gay movement is Russian President Vladimir Putin. He signaled on Friday that Moscow would seek changes in an agreement regulating adoptions of Russian children by French parents, saying the French law allowing same-sex marriage went against traditional Russian values. Any move to scrap the year-old agreement with France, or impose new restrictions, would deepen a divide between Putin and European nations over homosexuality and gay rights. Putin has often championed socially conservative values since he began a third term last May. Putin, in power as president or prime minister since 2000, has spoken repeatedly in his new presidential term about the importance of what he has called traditional values and has drawn closer to the Russian Orthodox Church. Russia's parliament, in which the pro-Putin United Russia has a majority, has given preliminary approval to a ban on "homosexual propaganda" targeting minors, which critics say would effectively ban gay rights demonstrations. ~~~~~ Dear readers, I have hesitated to enter this deeply personal and divisive dispute, mostly because it has become difficult to oppose any aspect of gay rights without being labeled a right-wing "rabble-rouser." But let me express my opinion. As always, your comments would be welcome and respected. For me, the state is the final word concerning civil rights, if a majority of its citizens are in agreement. So when a state grants civil recognition and full rights to same-sex couples, I do not object. But, there is no definitive evidence either for or against the personal or societal effect of permitting children to be adopted and/or raised in same-sex couple homes. So, I oppose this aspect of same-sex civil rights legislation. As for "marriage" - if the state wants to grant the right to, and perform, civil marriages, I consider that within tbe state's right. But, because I fully support the separation of church and state and the fundamental right to freedom of religion, I oppose any legislation so broadly written as to make it likely that religious marriage is included in the civil rights granted to same-sex couples. I take this position because I can foresee finally, with the enactment of broad-brush same-sex marriage laws, that a church will refuse to perform the marriage and the courts may feel compelled to intervene on the side of the state. This would be contrary to the fundamental right to freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, and I prefer to prevent this argument from ever being necessary.