FRANCE: A French court annulled France's first gay marriage yesterday, setting a legal precedent for outlawing same-sex marriages.
The conservative government had already declared the marriage invalid, and suspended the mayor who conducted it on June 5th in the Bordeaux suburb of Begles. The court ruling was a blow for opposition politicians who want to make gay marriages legal.
"The tribunal declared null and void the marriage between Mr Stephane Chapin and Mr Bertrand Charpentier," the court in Bordeaux, the main city near Begles, said in its ruling.
Mr Chapin (33), a care worker, and Mr Charpentier (31), a shop worker, said they would appeal against the ruling, and take their fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
"We will fight to the end, as we said two months ago, but we will win because we have faith in our country," Mr Charpentier said outside the court.
The couple's lawyer, Mr Emmanuel Pierrat, said the court had based its ruling on the argument that marriage was traditionally considered the foundation of the family and that one of its main functions was to have children.
He said the couple remained legally married pending their appeal.
The Interior Ministry suspended local mayor Mr Noele Mamere for conducting the ceremony following warnings by the Prime Minister, Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Mr Mamere, a Green member of parliament who is waging a battle against traditional family values, said he was not surprised by the court's decision. - (Reuters)