Marriage Equality Foes Protest Across France

Protestors opposed to marriage equality in France demonstrate on November 17, 2012, carrying signs that read, "For the right of a child to have a father and mother," and "Don't touch my [civil] marital status," in Toulouse. 

Nearly a dozen French cities saw protesters opposed to marriage equality line the streets Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

The protesters carried signs with slogans such as "One child = one mother + one father." No stranger to elaborate costumes, the protesters were dressed in white, blue, and pink, a variation on the nation's tricolor flag of red, white, and blue. Protesters included Catholic and anti-equality groups, and numbered in the thousands in some cities, reports the AP. A similar coordinated protest took place in several French cities last month as well. 

Calling their protest the March for Everyone, several thousand people marched in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and other cities around the country.  

French president François Hollande supports marriage equality legislation introduced in October, calling the policy "marriage for everyone." The draft legislation recieved initial approval from Hollande and his cabinet earlier this month, reports Towleroad.

As part of the proposed marriage equality law and its corresponding adoption rights for same-sex couples, France is also considering removing gendered language referring to "mother" and "father" in its civil code, instead adopting the gender-neutral options "parent 1" and "parent 2."

A recent survey found that a majority of French citizens support marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, while support for adoption by same-sex couples hovers around 50%, according to the AP. In France only married couples may legally adopt children.