France and gay marriage
Ten years of same-sex marriage in France, in graphs
Le Monde takes stock of these ten years during which more than 70,000 same-sex couples own said 'yes' to each other.
On April 23, 2013, France became the 14th nation to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. Following 136 hours of heated debate, the Assemblée Nationale passed the law known as "mariage pour tous" (mariage for all) which also allowed married same-sex couples to adopt children.
Between the union of Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau on May 29, 2013 – the first two men who said "yes" to each other in France – and the complete of 2022, 70,658 homosexual couples have been getting married, according to facts provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).
These unions represent about 3% of all civil marriages performed over the past 10 years, a stable proportion since the law was enacted.
In 2014, 10,522 lgbtq+ couples were united in marriage. The "first year" effect probably played a role: Some couples who had been together for a long time were waiting for this moment and wanted to produce their union official as soon as possible. Thereafter, an average of 6,882 marria
Same-sex marriage: French parliament approves new law
The first weddings could take place in June, according to Justice Minister Christiane Taubira.
"We think that the first weddings will be beautiful and that they'll bring a breeze of bliss, and that those who are opposed to them today will surely be confounded when they are overcome with the happiness of the newlyweds and the families," she told the National Assembly.
Some argue this is the most important social reform in France since the death penalty was banned in 1981, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris.
France is now the 14th country to legalise gay marriage after New Zealand last week.
It is also the ninth country in Europe to allow homosexual marriage after legalisation in the traditionally liberal Netherlands and Scandinavia, but also in strongly Catholic Portugal and Spain. Legislation is also moving through the UK Parliament.
But the measure has aroused stronger than expected opposition in France - a state where the Catholic Church was consideration to have clueless much of its influence over the public.
In January, a protest in Paris against the bill attracted some 340,000 people according to
Surveys in France contain shown mixed views towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
Survey results from 23 Queer Equaldex users who lived in or visited France.
Perceived Safety*Absence of verbal harassmentAbsence of threats and violence*Survey results symbolize personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal TreatmentTreatment by general publicTreatment by law enforcementTreatment by religious groups
Visibility & RepresentationRepresentation in entertainment
CultureInterest groups and clubs
ServicesSupport and social services
History
Homosexual activity in France
?Same-sex marriage in France
?Same-sex marriage in France is legal.
France – Same-sex married spouses recognised in immigration procedures
France recently became the thirteenth country to legalise same-sex marriage under its Law n° 2013-404 of 17 May 2013.
As a result of this change in the Civil code, married couples of same-sex and opposite-sex now also have the identical rights in immigration procedures. To qualify for immigration benefits, such as a spouse residence permit, a queer marriage must take place in France or be registered and recognized by the country where the marriage took place. This does not apply to nationals of countries with which France has long-standing bilateral arrangements (Poland, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Slovenia, Cambodia and Laos).
By contrast with married spouses, unmarried partners are not officially recognised in immigration law. However, under frequent law, the authorities may take other forms of relationship such as registered partners into consideration.
Read more:
Karl Waheed – Recognition of same sex marriage in French immigration
Law No. 2013-404
Law on residence permits of family members
Immigration policy for the highly skil
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to enable movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.