February 13, 2013: France's National Assembly passes a highly-debatable bill that allows same-sex marriage, a step that was celebrated by pro-gay rights activists in the country. Gay rights activists were celebrating Wednesday after France's National Assembly endorsed a hugely controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption. The bill, comfortably adopted by the primary chamber on Tuesday evening, still has to go to the Senate for examination and approval, but the upper house is unlikely to prevent the groundbreaking reform from becoming law by the summer. "I was in the Assembly and it was really a very moving moment," Nicolas Gougain, a spokesman for the Inter-LGBT rights group, told AFP. "We so badly want to see this bill adopted after many, many years of campaigning for equal rights. "It was very satisfying too that there was such a clear majority and that the debate allowed deputies to address the falsehoods that have been spread for months about families with gay parents." Gougain said his organisation would be following the debate in the Senate closely but voiced confidence the gay community would be able to celebrate a landmark victory with a once-in-a-generation party at the annual Gay Pride march, scheduled to take place in Paris on June 29.
[PHOTO: People demonstrate in support of the government project to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption for same-sex couples in Paris, Sunday Dec. 16, 2012 (AP)]
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