PARIS – The French National Assembly has given its definitive approval to the law on marriage and the adoption of children by same-sex couples.
In a tense atmosphere, after 136 hours and 46 minutes of debate, the President of the National Assembly, Socialist Claude Bartolone, announced that the bill "opening up marriage for same-sex couples" had been adopted with 331 votes in favor and 225 against. Boos and applause greeted the announcement, while shortly before, several opponents had been expelled from the public gallery. The right has already announced an appeal to the Constitutional Council before the law's promulgation by President François Hollande.
Protest in Rome. A sit-in in Piazza Farnese, in front of the French Embassy, was organized by, among others, the PDL youth movement, the "Hands Off the Family" Committee, Azione Universitaria, Militia Christi, and Giovane Italia. "We want to express solidarity with French Catholics," says Fabrizio Lastei, spokesperson for Militia Christi, "including priests, unjustly beaten and arrested simply for peacefully expressing their opposition to the plan to legalize gay marriage." Andrea Volpi, national president of Azione Universitaria, echoes his sentiments: "We loudly declare our opposition to the French law on 'Le mariage pour tous' and express our solidarity with those citizens unjustly arrested for protesting and peacefully expressing their opposition to Hollande's policies." For the Roman Coordinator of Young Italy, Michelangelo Chinni, and the Regional Director of Young Italy Lazio, Matteo Guidoni, "the demonstration aims to demonstrate that even in Italy, there is a silent majority of men and women ready to take to the streets to defend the rights of the family and their children. We want to show our French friends that they are not alone in this battle, because we want a free Europe and a true, traditional family.".
Associations. After France's definitive yes, the 14th country to allow same-sex marriage, it's now Italy's turn, according to gay associations. "The French yes, which establishes that the affections of gays and lesbians have the same value as heterosexual ones and profoundly revolutionizes the institution of marriage," says Arcigay president Flavio Romani, "is the victory of those who believe that a better society is possible. Same-sex marriage is the triumph of social justice and of those who identify with democracy, tolerance, and equality. Now it's Italy's turn to offer gay and lesbian people, our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends, and our family, the human rights that have been stubbornly denied them for years. The Italian political class has a civil and moral duty, assuming it has even a shred of morality, to provide answers to all those people—and we're talking about millions—who for years have been humiliated, offended, denigrated, excluded from their rights, and whose freedom has been ferociously repressed.
