Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Ex-first lady Bruni backs gay marriage

Former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy backed controversial plans for France to legalise gay marriage in an interview with Vogue that sees the 44-year-old return to her supermodel roots.

Published: 25 November 2012 18:40 CET

Ex-first lady Bruni backs gay marriage

Photo: Peter Potrowl

In an interview appearing in the magazine's December issue with a 20-page photo shoot reminiscent of Bruni-Sarkozy's time as a top model in the 1990s, she admitted she disagreed with her husband on the question of gay marriage and adoption.

"I am rather in favour of gay marriage and adoption, I have a lot of friends — women and men — who are in this situation and I see nothing unstable or perverse in families with homosexual parents," she said.

French President Francois Hollande, who defeated Sarkozy in a May presidential election, is pushing plans to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption despite fierce opposition from Catholics and rightwing groups, including most of Sarkozy's UMP party.

Bruni-Sarkozy refused to answer questions about her husband's future political career, saying only: "It was a beautiful adventure, but today I just want to go back to being a citizen like any other."

Bruni-Sarkozy, a model and singer whose fourth album will be released next spring, married the divorced Sarkozy in 2008.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Two grooms in suits with red heart balloons stand in front of a large heart which reads 'Same love, same rights' in German. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Two grooms in suits with red heart balloons stand in front of a large heart which reads 'Same love, same rights' in German. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

On September 26th, 2021, Switzerland voted to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming one of the last countries in western Europe to do so.

Nine months after the vote, the “marriage for all” law will enter into force as of July 1st, 2022, the Federal Council announced.

From this date on, gay couples will be able to marry, though the preparatory procedure for marriage can be started before this date.

Same-sex couples will also be able to convert their registered partnership into marriage: a simple joint declaration to a civil status officer will suffice to convert a current partnership.

READ MORE:UPDATE: Swiss voters say big ‘yes’ to same-sex marriage

This law will be enacted after 64 percent of Swiss voters backed the move in a September 26th nationwide referendum.

Lengthy battle

Switzerland decriminalised homosexuality in 1942, but numerous local and regional police forces continued to keep “gay registers”, some into the early 1990s.

Same-sex couples can already register a civil partnership, with around 700 established each year.

However, this status does not provide the same rights as marriage, including for obtaining citizenship and the joint adoption of children.

READ MORE: ‘Deviance and morality’: The history of the same-sex marriage movement in Switzerland

After years of debate and discussion, the Swiss parliament approved a bill last December allowing same-sex couples to marry in the country of 8.6 million people.

But it was challenged under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, with opponents gathering the 50,000 signatures needed to put the issue to a referendum.

Url copied to clipboard!