"Gaie Paris": The Fight for Equality Comes to the City of Love

Supporters cross a bridge by the Notre Dame
© Freedom Requires Wings

FRANCE -- Between 60,000 to 150,000 people waving rainbow flags, chanting slogans, and blowing whistles filled the Place de la Bastille, Paris, Sunday; the same square where interim president François Hollande stood not 7 months ago during his election night speech before a similar scene and assured them all the points of his program would be carried out.

Marriage equality was one of those points, making Sunday's rally the most symbolic one yet in the French fight for equal rights. The rally was to support equal marriage, adoption and Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) bills due to be voted on in Parliament in the New Year, and to denounce the recent surge of homophobia in the country since the debate started.

60,000 people took to the streets of Paris according to police estimates, and 150,000 according to the organizers. Some papers estimated 80,000 participants, others 100,000, the numbers still unclear. In November, 70,000 anti protesters took to the same streets to protest against the bills.

Similar scenes could be witnessed 14 years ago when the debate around domestic partnerships for same-sex couples came into the spotlight. Housing minister, Cecile Duflot argued "We've almost reached the end of the road. Today, those who are protesting against are those who once protested against domestic partnerships and who are in favour of them today."

The supporters who paraded from Place de la Bastille to the Jardin du Luxembourg held banners and signs reading comical slogans such as "Liz Taylor has had seven marriages, I only want one", others with more serious messages like "Change is two fathers", a play on President Hollande's campaign slogan, "Change is now". They came from all around the world to show their support. Buses were organized from Brussels and some people flew in from France's non-European departments like Réunion Island (located in the Indian Ocean), especially for the march. At the end of the day mobile phones became useless pieces of plastic as Paris's phone network bore the brunt of millions of calls, texts, Facebook statuses and tweets from the participants.

© Freedom Requires Wings

The debate is a heated one and popular opinion is divided on all the topics these bills cover. According to the latest Ifop survey carried out in the Journal du Dimanche, the large majority of the French population supports marriage equality with 60% in favour of the bill however, only 46% support adoption rights for same-sex couples.

 "The left shouldn't have a shaky hand when it comes to moving forward to a fairer society."
- Deputy Noël Mamère

The government is quavering and the President constantly going back on some of his promises with compromises, only to be dragged back to his initial position by the LGBT community and his entourage. Last week he said he would "let the national assembly decide" on whether or not to pass a law giving equal Medically Assisted Procreation rights to same-sex couples.

Other so-far unfulfilled promises from the campaign trail include a legislative reform allowing trans* people to carry identity papers that match their identity without the need for sterilization or gender reassignment.

The questions over equality are becoming more and more prominent in the media and another mass rally is being organized for January 27th, just two days before the national assembly will open their debate on the bills. The next big anti protest is scheduled for January 13th, neither side ready to drop the case.

I took hundreds of photos but here are a few of my favourites. There's also a short video below so you can get a piece of the ambiance.