HT and AT Exclusives
On May 29 in Montpellier France held its first gay marriage ceremony. Patrice Victor went for The HT.
The first gay marriage in Montpellier
I thought it could be an exciting story for the Herault Times. So I went there, and yes it was exciting… the first same-sex marriage in France - a short time after the bill legalizing it had been adopted.
The ceremony took place on May 29 in Montpellier, the French San Francisco, some would say.
Besides the Herault Times, the hall where the ceremony was to take place was crammed with the world press - from China to England, including The Guardian. As surprising as it is for this revolution of social mores, the grooms wore traditional suits, one with a tie, and the other one with a bow-tie. And most of the guests wore classical outfits - but for a group of drama queens, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence*, gay activists dressed in provocative catholic attire who advocate "expiating stigmatic guilt" and "promulgating multiversal joy".
A traditional ceremony, nevertheless a step towards a more open society
The two grooms surrounded by journalists
For the pun lovers, one of their mottos is Amen and Awomen whatever your gender.
You could feel in the air a special event was taking place. As the time for the ceremony drew closer and closer, a deep silence, nearly religious, permeated the hall minutes before the arrival of the grooms, Bruno and Vincent.
They entered the hall under the music of Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E. and the ceremony started with a speech by Helene Mandroux, the socialist mayor of Montpellier. "It's a real happiness to give to each and every one the possibility to live their love." She talked about, "an historical time for our country ", "a society without judgment or rejection." She stood up for “a law of freedom, a law of fraternity” that helps citizens "to be free in their choices, free in their passion". After her speech, at some point an assistant reading an official document was so moved she started to cry! After a loving kiss it was time for the grooms to talk. In an emotional speech, Vincent recalled Martin Luther King's words,
"The law may not be able to make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me."
Outside the city hall hundred of supporters were cheering at the event under close supervision by the police, because the new law has been quite controversial and divisive in France, giving rise to some incidents, unlike in other countries that have embraced same sex marriage.
Gay bashing is not over in France, nevertheless. According to the polls a majority of French people support the new law.
Still the topic is divisive for French society. As an example, the evening before the ceremony strolling downtown Montpellier I saw in front of the Prefecture a small group of people who call themselves "Les Veilleurs " (The Lookouts)**. They are part of a recent national movement against the new law; most of them are hard-core catholic fundamentalists who seem to consider same-sex union and same-sex family as the mother of all sins, the annihilation of civilization. They were peacefully sitting on the pavement and were singing what seemed to be a French Resistance song! They hijacked the lyrics and music of the famous wartime Chant des partisans. For example they turned "Tonight the enemy shall know the price of blood and tears" into "Tonight Taubira will know the call of mayors and their tears" (Christine Taubira is the Chief Justice who has presented the "marriage for all" bill).
Right behind them, a number of gay activists were protesting the fundamentalist protest, one of them waving a placard "Love is my religion". Without warning two girls kissed each other in front of the Veilleurs in a vain effort to shock them.
Another local opponent to the new law is the right wing mayor of Béziers, Raymond Couderc, who said he will not celebrate same sex union (but his deputies will) because it's against his belief.
A 10 year old boy who sent a letter to Helene Mandroux has a different belief, he wrote to her: "Thanks for helping my mum and other homosexuals. I'm glad you stand up for this law in support of people like my mum. Now I'm no longer scared".
Patrice Victor
* www.lessoeurs.org
**http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2013/05/29/mariage-gay-a-montpellier_n_3349363.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
The two grooms surrounded by journalists
Supporters of the marriage in front of Montpellier city hall
The catholic fundamentalist demonstrators and behind them gay activists, the day before the ceremony.
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were guests at the wedding.
"Thanks for helping my mum and other homosexuals. I'm glad you stand up for this law in support of people like my mum. Now I'm no longer scared".
Two girls kiss each other in front of the Catholic fundamentalists. Only the journalists seem to pay attention.
A kiss under the spotlights between Vincent, one of the grooms, and Hélène Mandroux, the mayor of Montpellier