How the French are fighting for marriage
PARIS, March 15, 2013 ( Heritage Foundation ) - On March 26, thousands of Americans will gather in Washington, D.C., for the national March for Marriage . They’ll have to work hard to match the élan of the French , who are getting ready for their third marriage rally in Paris on the 24th. In November, 100,000 people gathered in the French capital to protest a bill to recognize gay marriage . On January 13, Paris was blanketed in a sea of a bright pink—who said that defending marriage could not be done with a bit of flair?—as a million people stretched for half a mile in front of the Eiffel Tower , chanting “Mariageophiles, pas homophobes!” (“Marriage lovers, not homophobes!”) and “Un père, une mère, c’est élémentaire!” (“One father, one mother: It’s basic!”—which rhymes in French). Ignoring the tidal wave of discontent, the National Assembly still passed the bill. Undeterred, the pro-marriage movement gathered 700,000 signatures in less than two weeks to demand that