France Rejects Marriage Equality

The French National Assembly has rejected a Socialist Party-backed bill that would have legalized marriage equality.

The effort to reject the measure, which was defeated Tuesday with a 293-222 vote, was led by President Nicholas Sarkozy's conservative party, UMP. Earlier this year, France's highest court ruled that banning gay marriages did not violate the constitution.

The measure's backers said they wanted to bring France up to the same level as countries like The Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium, which all have legalized marriage equality.