France becomes 14th country to legalize gay marriage

France becomes the 14th country to legalize same-sex marriage and gay adoption after President Francois Hollande signs the measure into law on Saturday, following months of bitter political debate. In April, the main right-wing opposition UMP party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy challenged the measure on constitutional grounds. But on Friday, the Constitutional Council said same-sex marriage “did not run contrary to any constitutional principles,” and that it did not infringe on “basic rights or liberties or national sovereignty”. Gay rights groups hail the move, but opponents of the measure vow to continue the fight, calling for a major protest rally in Paris on May 26. The issue of gay marriage has divided France, which is officially secular but overwhelmingly Catholic. Protests against the bill drew thousands, with a number of hard-core protesters clashing with police.

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