French parliament backs main clause in gay marriage lawPARIS | Sat Feb 2, 2013 8:38am EST
(Reuters) - The French parliament on Saturday adopted the main clause of a reform bill that would allow same-sex marriage and grant gay couples the right to adopt children.
Deputies voted 249-97 to back the clause eliminating opposite gender as a condition of the right to marriage.
The draft law, the first major social reform of Francois Hollande’s presidency, has sparked major protests in France.
Several hundred thousand people massed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris last month to protest against the plan.
More than 5,000 amendments have been presented for the reform bill, which deputies began debating on Tuesday.
The debate is expected to last two weeks.
Socialist deputies had originally planned to amend the marriage bill to include access to assisted reproduction techniques for lesbians, but pulled back when this idea appeared especially controversial and threatened to hinder the wider marriage reform.
However, opinion polls have shown the number of people supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in France has risen despite the protests.
The proportion of those supporting the change in the law rose to 63 percent in late January from 60 percent in early January and December, according to a poll.
(Reporting by Emile Picy; Writing by Elena Berton; Editing by Andrew Roche)
附上链接（希望这样直接贴新闻没关系）：http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/02/us-francemarriage-law-idUSBRE91107120130202
中国也有很多媒体报道啦
法国国民议会通过同性婚姻法案关键性条款
2013年02月04日 14:32 来源：中国新闻网
(中新网）2月4日电 据外媒报道，法国国民议会(议会下院)2日通过了同性婚姻法案的关键性条款，同性婚姻在法国合法化已是指日可待。
国民议会当天以249票赞成、97票反对的表决结果，批准了让同性婚姻合法化法案的第一条，定义婚姻为“两位不同性别的人或相同性别的人缔结的合约”。
在国民议会表决之际，法国各地数以万计群众示威，抗议承认同性婚姻。总统奥朗德领导的社会党与左翼人士则普遍支持修法。
国民议会2月3日继续开会审议这一法案其他条款。法新社指出，法国国民议会在周末两天里开会的情况极其罕见。
据介绍，由法国司法部长陶比拉提交的这一让同性恋婚姻合法化，允许同性恋夫妇领养孩子的法律草案，一共有二十多项条款，但国民议会收到的修正条款则多达5000多条。法国国民议会的讨论从1月29日开始，与会议员们要对所有条款逐项进行表决，预计这个过程将持续两周时间，直到2月12日对法案全文进行整体表决。之后，这一法案将送交法国参议院讨论。
法国总统奥朗德在竞选期间承诺将推动立法，让同性恋者享有建立婚姻关系和领养儿童的权利。
民意调查显示，约55%至60%法国人支持认可同性婚姻，但认可同性伴侣领养孩子的只有约50%。