French LGBTQ+ couples mark 10 years of same-sex marriage
When France legalised gay marriage exactly 10 years ago, Nicolas and his partner David couldn’t wait to tie the knot. A decade on, the couple still cherish the memories of their town hall wedding in a suburb of Paris. “It was something else.
The beautiful town hall and the mayor dressed in the red, white and blue sash. She made a beautiful speech about how proud she was to officiate her first same-sex wedding, it was very, very moving,” Nicolas recalled.
Beyond giving LGBTQ+ couples the chance to celebrate their love in the same way as heterosexual couples, the landmark change brought with it new rights related to pension entitlements, inheritance and adoption.
Previously, same-sex couples were limited to civil unions, which were introduced in 1999. Colloquially known as “marriage light”, they include a contract specifying how joint assets should be split if a couple later separates and offer other legal benefits such as the right to file a joint tax return.
