France annuls first same-sex marriage [View All]

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France annuls first same-sex marriage

A French court has annulled France's first gay marriage, setting a legal precedent for outlawing same-sex marriages that came down on the side of the conservative government.

The government had already declared the marriage invalid and suspended the mayor who conducted it on June 5 in the Bordeaux suburb of Begles. The court ruling was a blow for opposition politicians who want to make gay marriages legal.

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The marriage stirred controversy in France, where the law allows civil unions between homosexuals although gays say this puts them at a disadvantage in terms of tax, inheritance and adoption rights.

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Members of President Jacques Chirac's ruling conservative party, Roman Catholic church leaders and some opposition Socialists have said children need a mother and a father and that the issue was too serious to be discussed in a hurry.

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040727/3/3lzn7.html