Posting Numbers Status

Peter Cohen is committed to marriage for gay couples by signing "The Appeal of Montpellier"

APPEAL OF MONTPELLIER
Mayors Call for the opening of marriage to homosexual couples

Ten years after the enactment of legislation creating the PACS (Civil Solidarity Pact), we welcome the success of this major reform carried out by the left.

Created to provide a status to couples who are unable or unwilling to marry, the PACS is becoming more popular with the French. In 2008, nearly 145,000 couples have signed this "contract by two major natural persons of opposite sex or same sex, to organize their life together." A figure steadily rising since 1999.

This demonstrates the acceptance of this contract, while his detractors had as a threat to marriage, family and society.

The passage of this law has been obtained by associations (the fight against AIDS and defense of homosexuals) and noting the legal limbo which were faced by survivors of AIDS victims. ACAP has led to greater visibility and acceptance of diversity of couples.

Over the years, successive improvements in the law meant that the PACS is entered in the customs, gradually approaching marriage even though it remains largely disadvantageous in case of death of one partner, especially for random binational couples.

In a decade, attitudes have changed. The law must evolve too. We believe the time has come to take another step by opening marriage to same-sex couples.

Indeed, the speeches in the fight against homophobia are credible only when the government will put an end to an unbearable institutional discrimination: that of reserving access to marriage to heterosexual couples.

In 1999, ACAP, France led the way for equal rights. Today, many left-wing mayor recognize same-sex couples. Thirty couples celebrating civil partnerships by a civil ceremony at City Hall.

But reserving marriage for heterosexual couples, France is lagging behind other countries.
The appeal we make is motivated by two basic principles: equality and universality. Indeed, we consider that equality, the founding principle of our republic, is jeopardized whenever an identified discrimination is maintained in good condition. Similarly, we believe that universality, another founding value of our Republic, is challenged when our country unjustly denied the equal protection and equal rights to some couples because of their sexual orientation.

By working for equal rights, promoting their universality, the republican pact, social cohesion and togetherness that we strengthen.