Gay marriage: Britain, France in surprise contrast

Queen Elizabeth II signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex?marriages?in England and Wales on Wednesday. France has also legalized?gay?marriages, but after massive public protests.

By Angela Charlton and Gregory Katz,?Associated Press / July 18, 2013

Members of the London Gay Men's Choir perform in front of the Houses of Parliament in central London July 15, 2013. Their vigil, and performances were timed to coincide with the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill being read in the House of Lords today. REUTERS/

Andrew Winning/Reuters

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The French like to make fun of the British, joking about their repressed ways in matters of the heart. But when it came time to debate same-sex?marriage, it was France that betrayed a deep conservative streak in sometimes violent protests ? while the British showed themselves to be modern and tolerant.

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With little fanfare or controversy, Britain announced Wednesday that Queen Elizabeth II ? hardly a social radical ? had signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex?marriages?in England and Wales. France has also legalized?gay?marriages, but only after a series of gigantic protests attracting families from the traditional heartland that revealed a deeply split society.

Official word that the queen had approved the bill drew cheers in the usually sedate House of Commons.

"This is a historic moment that will resonate in many people's lives," Equalities Minister Maria Miller said in a statement. "I am proud that we have made it happen and I look forward to the first same sex wedding by next summer."

There were British political figures and religious leaders vehemently opposed to?gay?marriage?but the opposition never reached a fever pitch, in part because the same-sex?marriage?bill had broad public support and the backing of the leaders of the three major political parties. In fact, it was Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the tradition-minded Conservatives, who proposed the legislation in the first place.

The public seemed to take it for granted that?gay?marriage?should be a part of British life. It was perhaps a sign of how Britain has evolved in past decades into a much more cosmopolitan nation than its starchy, traditionalist image would suggest.

"The opposition seemed restricted to a very small number of people very vigorous in their views," said Steven Fielding, a political scientist at the University of Nottingham. "It was restricted to the back benchers of the Conservative Party. It wasn't shared across the political spectrum. It was an issue whose time had come. To oppose it seemed slightly strange."

The law was also written in a way that allowed the Church of England ? which is opposed ? to sidestep the controversy since it is explicitly barred from conducting same-sex?marriages.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/YbQjxC6pLlI/Gay-marriage-Britain-France-in-surprise-contrast

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