In France, Gay-Marriage Opponents Take to the Streets While Cannes Gives Top Prize to Bold Lesbian Romance
People wave trademark pink, blue and white flags at the Esplanade des Invalides as they attend a protest march called, “La Manif pour Tous” (Demonstration for All) against France’s legalisation of same-sex marriage, in Paris, May 26, 2013. The French parliament on April 23 approved a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and to adopt children, a flagship reform pledge by the French president, which has often sparked violent street protests, and a rise in homophobic attacks. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe (FRANCE – Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) – RTX101QQ
The Cannes Film Festival delivered its top prize to a lesbian romance said to contain sexually explicit scenes.
“Blue is the Warmest Color” by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche is sure to raise controversy.
There is another kind of controversy gripping a large segment of the French population now: gay-marriage.
This past Sunday, about 150,000 people marched on the streets of Paris to protest the new gay-marriage law.
And it says something about the contrast in cultural attitudes in France.
The New York Times’ Steve Erlanger in Paris says “France is a Catholic country where nobody goes to church” and where the arts are fiercely protected.