Gay weddings in France
Love is Love
The perfect wedding in the perfect wedding destination, no matter your sexual orientation.
Marriage. Why do we get married? Maybe for some people it is to formalize the union in front of God, get his blessing to start a new life, a wonderful life, together. But what about civil weddings? They’re a symbol, symbol of love, of partnership, of promise.A wedding is a way of saying: “you’re my partner today and forever, and I want the whole world to witness the love we share”. When you get married, you’re shouting loud and clear that you’re in love, that you are happy, and you wouldn’t give that happiness up for anything in the world. Right, so a wedding is a way of committing to love, and love, well, love is love. Love is king, love is pure, and it knows nothing of social restrictions, discrimination, race, shape or gender. So why should homosexual weddings be forbidden? What happened to freedom, what happened to equality?
So many countries are against gay weddings. What’s worse, so many countries are against the idea that homosexuality is normal. Countries like Nigeria or Tunis condemn homosexuals to prison. Countries like Iran or Soudan condemn them to death. And other countries, even if they don’t take it to the extreme, they still discriminate homosexual couples, stealing away their rights, their voices, their lives…
However some countries do understand what Love really means, what being human actually means. France is one of the 30 countries in the world that embraces Gay weddings. Even if there was a resistance from many people, Gay marriage was legalized the 17th may 2013, turning France into the perfect wedding destination for everyone!
The evolution of Gay marriage in France:
To be fair, it hasn’t been easy for the French homosexuals to claim their rights. It hasn’t been easy for the homosexuals all around the world either. Considering that in the antique times bisexuality and homosexuality was kind of the norm in many regions, the fact that homosexuality was considered a sickness, an abnormality, or whatever incoherent definition societies have given it through time, is highly unfair. Homosexuality did not create problems in ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome and many more societies. In those times, it wasn’t an issue at all!
Sadly, the division was made and it became socially unacceptable to love whomever one wanted. But France was rather “open” and decided to make a move that influenced many countries in Europe: in 1791, they stop considering homosexuality as a crime and, after a while, took the term out of the mental illness’ category. Not yet socially accepted, however, it was still condemned by the people who saw this as a profanity. Religious people, extremists. At the time, it was the majority. Today however, even if some still condemn homosexuality as an unnatural act and as a way of going against god, most people accept and respect the LGBTQ+ community, even the Pope! It surely came as a shock to everyone when, going against his predecessors, he announced that being homosexual is not unnatural or unacceptable. By doing that, he took away all the arguments still held by the Christians who are against LGBTQ+ rights. So, even if a wedding in front of god is still impossible, homosexuals are today respected and accepted by most.
Today, it is legal to get married, but for many years the only official union that was accepted in France was the PACS, which is a civil pact of solidarity, making the couple official in front of the law. But this was not enough, because it doesn’t give the same benefits. It gives a status, without the legal guarantees. So, since the PACS was authorized in 1999, the LGBTQ+ community has fought, paraded and demanded equal rights!
Why is getting married so important?
Well, first things first, preventing homosexual weddings means differentiating between homosexuals and heterosexuals. It means less rights. It means that the idea of freedom and equality, which is the basis of the French republic, is not applied. The law has to apply to everyone in the same way, no exceptions, no discrimination! The right to express love and happiness should not be taken away by anyone, especially the law.
What’s more, getting married is not just a symbol of love, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many weddings. In France, more than 220 000 weddings are celebrated every year, and at least 3% are same-sex weddings. More than being just a spiritual and emotional union, it is also a legal union that has its perks in front of the law. There are so many benefits that we may not think about all the time but that will make a difference in the couple’s life. There’s are some legal benefits, like for example, if your significant other is in a hospital and you are married, you can go in, no questions asked. However, if you’re not, they may not let you in sometimes, having the “only family members” policy, and you won’t be the one making medical decisions if needed. Now, I don’t know you, but if I was in a critical state and I was not allowed to see my partner because we weren’t allowed to get married, I would be pissed!
As we’re talking about a sad subject, let’s not forget about the inheritance benefits of married couples. If the couple is not married, there will be taxes over the inheritance, and that’s just unfair.
What’s more, it is way easier to adopt a kid if the couple is married. That’s how it works and it’s not completely incoherent. Marriage shows stability and a loving couple. What more could you want for a child?
Finally, even if it’s not very poetic to talk about money when we talk about love, money is a big issue in a marriage, like for example, being married means marital tax deduction, which makes it possible to transfer as much money as you want to your spouse with no tax fees.
And these are just some practical benefits of getting married. Don’t even get me started on the emotional benefits of a married life. Already finding love is thought to prolong our lives and improve our emotional stability. Proposing to someone, or getting proposed to, is a magical feeling and an intense memory that one cannot simply forget. Organizing a wedding, especially in your dream wedding destination, is not only fun and full of emotions, it is a challenging moment for the couple and it brings them stronger together. And the wedding day is just one of the most beautiful, important and amazing steps a couple can take. Showing each other the amount of love they feel one for the other and sharing it with the people they love most, knowing that they are sealing the most beautiful and important promise of their lives. Besides, research shows that married couple tend to live longer and that it reduces the chances of getting depression. Love is just the greatest medicine, is it not?
Same-sex weddings in France:
The movement “Mariage pour Tous” (weddings for all) did not only win in 2013, making gay marriage legal in France. LGBTQ+ supporters keep working and fighting for a better world, one where no discrimination would be found, where no one should feel ashamed because of their sexual orientation. In France, the law is a supporter and the people are supporters. Same-sex couples feel at their ease, not judged constantly, not thrown aside. The more the community grows, the more people understand that homosexuality is not unnatural. Many used to think that homosexuality was only about sex, and today they finally understand that it is about love, about family. What’s beautiful, here in France, is that the people that will support you will not only support you. They fill fight alongside you, they will fight for you, and they will make you feel worth it every step of the way. The “Mariage pour Tous” was not only a movement with LGBTQ+ people, but also with so many supporters who understood the value of humanity, of love, of family. Supporters who are here to give you the acceptance you may not have received from your family.
Because, sadly, many LGBTQ’s don’t have their family’s approval. It can sometimes be hard to make the decision to get married to the person you love when you know that your family won’t be there to support you, to be happy with you and to walk you down the aisle. But with this wedding you are creating your own family, a family that will love you unconditionally and forever, through thick and thin, until death tears you apart. You will never run out of love again. Never feel alone or misunderstood. France and the other 29 countries did not make a light change. This decision, going against many people’s beliefs, tearing some families apart, has changed so many lives, and saved so many lives. Because now, even if only 30 countries have applied this law, LGBTQ’s from all around the world know that what they are, what they love and what they want is not wrong. It is accepted somewhere in the world. They know that they deserve respect, they deserve freedom, and they deserve to live! France is not a good wedding destination only because of its beauty, but especially thanks to its openness and its acceptance.
So don’t let anything, especially not homophobes, stop you from getting your dream wedding. Gay weddings are not only accepted in France, they are respected. And that makes them the most beautiful weddings. That, and the fact that France’s got some grandiose castles, beautiful landscapes, great people and great cheese. Oh yes, what would be more beautiful than to celebrate your amazing gay wedding in a pretty Parisian corner, with all the cheese and wine that you could think of. All the wedding traditions you’ve always dreamed of are possible in Paris, where the lights are brighter, the castles are bigger and the rainbow flags are shinier!
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