29 May 2013

First gay couple wed in France amid tight security

Two men have become the first gay couple to wed in France, just days after President Francois Hollande signed the same-sex marriage bill into law. Vincent Austin and Bruno Boileau tied the knot in the southern city of Montpellier amid tight security.

Austi and Boileau

Mr Hollande had warned he would not accept any disruption to the ceremony. The new legislation has proved controversial and sparked violent protests. The anti-gay marriage lobby, backed by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition, argues the bill undermines an essential building block of society. Extra police were drafted in, with fear that the extreme-right might also attend, our correspondent added.

BBC News