Controversy engulfs France's first gay wedding
BEGLES, France (Reuters) - A French mayor defied Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin Friday by vowing to press ahead with France's first gay wedding, stoking a controversy that is set to rage on after the couple say "I do."
The two men who plan to wed Saturday in the southwestern town of Begles near Bordeaux have gone into hiding from the media. Conservatives and gay lobby groups plan protests, and extra police have been brought in for fear of scuffles.
Begles mayor Noele Mamere has been accompanied by two personal body guards for the past month because of threats against him. He shrugged off Raffarin's warning that officials who perform gay weddings would be breaking the law.
"I will go ahead with this marriage," said Mamere, a Green Party member of parliament who says violating the law is sometimes the only way to change it.
He said he would lodge an appeal if the wedding between Bertrand Charpentier and Stephane Chapin is annulled and take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
Justice Minister Dominique Perben says the marriage will be invalid.
Raffarin told parliament this week that French law does not permit marriage between people of the same sex and said any officials performing gay weddings would "incur the punishment laid out by the law."
The wedding is France's first between a gay couple although laws already allow civil unions between homosexuals. Gays say this is a bad deal in terms of tax, inheritance and parenting rights.
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06/04/2004 12:53
RTR
