France: Anti-Gay Demonstrators March in Paris and Bordeaux

In France, Manif Pour Tous recently organized anti-gay marches in two cities to protest same-sex marriage, adoption, surrogacy, and medically assisted procreation. On Sunday, October 5th, thousands of protesters marched in Paris and Bordeaux under the slogan of L'humain N'est Pas Une Marchandise ("A Human Is Not Merchandise"). Photos from the march show people carrying pink and blue flags, with a few pushing shopping carts full of baby dolls in keeping with the "L'humain N'est Pas Une Marchandise" theme. March organizers estimate that 500,000 persons were in attendance, while police estimate that only 70,00 people participated, France24 reports.

According to France24, the march was in response to a September ruling by France's Court of Cassation that recognized same-sex adoption rights for same-sex couples. Previously, some French courts had banned adoption of children who were born outside France to lesbian couples who conceived via in-vitro fertilization, according to the Local.

The Manif Pour Tous website states that marchers called for the universal abolition of surrogacy and restrictions on medically assisted procreation that did not involve fathers. The statement was critical of French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, a supporter of LGBTQ rights, as well as the pro-LGBTQ Law 2013-404, which it derisively called the "Taubira Marriage Act".

A press release from Manif Pour Tous condemns "threats to the family" and "deconstruction of family policy" that allegedly accompany same-sex marriage, adoption, and conception. Ludovine La Rochere, president of Manif Pour Tous, blasted reproductive rights for same-sex couples.

"Notre civilisation s'est construite sur le respect des droits d'autrui. Or justement, les droits des uns s'arrêtent là où commencent ceux des autres, en l'occurrence ceux des femmes et ceux des enfants."

"Our civilization is built on respect for the rights of others. Or indeed, the rights of one end where those of others begin, namely those of women and children's." 

The France protests remind us that affronts to LGBTQ rights take many forms. Opponents of LGBTQ equality have targeted not only same-sex marriage, but adoption and reproductive measures by same-sex couples.

#CP5oct @TDerville : minimisation permanente des chiffres par @prefpolice est polémique ridicule démentie par faits : pic.twitter.com/dsj9tnyfEj
— La Manif Pour Tous (@LaManifPourTous) October 7, 2014