While rumors a few weeks back had French President Nicolas Sarkozy changing his mind to support gay marriage, the Gallic politician has now gone on record to say that he will not be including gay marriage or gay adoption in his re-election campaign.
Luckily for French LGBTs, Sarkozy’s socialist party opponent, Francois Hollande, is hugely popular, and totally pro-marriage equality. The presidential election will go down at the end of April/beginning of May.
In an interview with Le Figaro magazine translated by LifeSiteNews, Sarkozy stated that he did not support legalizing gay marriage, because it opens the door to gay adoption and families with same-sex parents. Said Sarkozy:
In troubled times, when our society needs to keep its bearings, I don’t think that it is necessary to blur the image of this essential social institution that is marriage…
I know that there exists, in fact, particular situations with men and with women who assume their parental roles perfectly. But they do not lead me to think that it is necessary to inscribe in law a new definition of family.
Sarkozy said he supports inheritance rights for gay couples, but doesn’t want to create “civil unions” because they would “harm the institution of marriage.” France already has a sort of civil union called PACS.
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How a conservative politician can justify wanting less families on the planet, we do not know. Would that Sarkozy were more like British PM David Cameron, his neighbor to the west, who has said that he does not support gay marriage in spite of being a Conservative, but that he supports it because he is a Conservative.
Photo via European People’s Party
EmmaMTF
Does he really believe that France isn’t the gayest nation on earth (aside from Utah, of course)? Get real and stop taking press conferences in your massive closet, Sarkozy.
christopher di spirito
Sarkozy is Obama’s BFF. The two men share an inability to support marriage equality based on their religious beliefs.
Patrick
France already has civil unions for LGBT people.
the crustybastard
Sarkozy’s argument is “I know gays who are perfect parents, but they shouldn’t have legal rights because that would blur a definition.”
That’s actually a MORE outrageous and offensive argument than some crazy assbag who thinks gays shouldn’t have rights because he’s positive we’re all sex predators.
What the fucking fuck is wrong with people? And @christopher di spirito nailed it. These dickwits need to be shamed out of saying stupid shit like “we need to strengthen our families by fucking with gay people’s rights because Jesus.”
If somebody enjoying their rights causes you to “lose your bearings,” your bearings weren’t packed correctly to begin with.
Jean
His comments, and comments by fellow UMP (conservative) politicians, are meant to try and take votes from the far-right parties. The joke is on him, he lost a lot of support to centrist and center-right parties and even the gay conservative group that was supported by his UMP party officially announced that they will not support Sarkozy in his re-election due to the comment.
the other Greg
Really, gay marriage “opens the door to gay adoption”?
It’s funny how Americans took the opposite view of adoption as being totally separate from marriage. Almost every state – except, notoriously, Florida until very recently – allowed adoptions by gay couples long before ANY state had same-sex marriage. Even single people can adopt in most states. Seriously, they’re scandalized by this sort of thing in France?
Robert in NYC
A bit rich coming from a twice married bigot. He makes David Cameron look like an ultra progressive. Damn, even single gay people can adopt children in the UK and now their marriage equality consultation begins in March. Things will change once the French boot Sarkozy out and good riddance too. Germany will be next once they get rid of that awful Merkel.
Jonathonz
The guy’s a creep. Hopefully he gets voted out of office.
Quentin
France is a very conservative and conformist Catholic country, contrary to the public image of a land of love and secularism. All minorities are disadvantaged, especially the racial ones and those of religions which are not Catholic. The French state also mistreats people with autism, by banning them from education.
Marie Cohn
In addition to everything else: short, too.
Abel
Let’s hope he gets voted out.
Robert in NYC
He’s waning in the polls. Francois Hollande, a same-sex marriage supporter will be challenging him in the Spring election. Let’s hope he wins and the UMP and it’s leader, twice married Sarkozy are booted out. Ditto Merkel of Germany.
Torchwood
GB is his “Neighbour to the north” actually, also its funny how FRance is against it when they are such a secular country but britain is getting it and they have a state church (the CofE)
Queer Supremacist
@Quentin: But that education is free! And worth it.
And French Jews have been fleeing to Israel and even Germany en masse for about a decade.
No wonder they hate Americans. The Free French aside, they didn’t ask to be liberated from Hitler.