Female couple flout French same-sex marriage ban
-
Two women succeeded in dodging France's same-sex marriage ban to say "I do" on Saturday -- because one of the happy couple is still, legally, a man.
Stephanie Nicot, 59, wed 27-year-old partner Elise in a town hall ceremony in Nancy in eastern France in what is said to be the first marriage of its kind in the country.
Stephanie, formerly Stephane, had sex reassignment surgery to become a woman but has refused to lodge documents, as required by French law, to also have her gender changed on the population register.
"It's a symbol for millions of gays and lesbians who would like to have the same rights," Nicot said of her marriage.
"It's the first marriage in France of its kind," Nancy's deputy mayor Laurent Henart told AFP.
The newly-weds later joined around 2,000 members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for a march in the city.
The only regret voiced by one of the guests was that the marriage official "called Stephanie by her old, male name."
There are between 40,000 and 50,000 transsexual and transgender people living in France, according to support groups.
The French constitutional court in January upheld the country's gay marriage ban, saying it was in keeping with the constitution.
The court made the ruling in response to a bid by a lesbian couple, who have four children, to marry after spending 10 years in a PACS, or civil union.
Several of France's European Union fellow member states, including Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, have legalised homosexual marriage.
-
our system can't even balance the gender policy....
it would take million of years to get it approved in our context...
-
Yes.....it's a marriage made in heaven :)
-
59 marry 27.. OMG -_-"
-
Whoever says the Chinese are crazy, think twice.
-
Funny thing is this man likes the woman....changes his sex to become a woman so she can be lesbian to like the woman?
-
Told you the chinese weren't as crazy.
-
Originally posted by Rock^Star:
Yes.....it's a marriage made in heaven :)
Certainly!
-
I feel sad for them. These people whom I believe has no respect for tradition. period
-
I heard some priests do blessings for homosexuals.