FRANCE'S GAVIN NEWSOM

Read about Noël Mamère, Green party mayor of Bègles, who will perform France's first gay marriage tomorrow. See the BBC, here, and the Christian Science Monitor here.

And for folks interested in political parties on the right: Le Pen has been in some difficulty on this issue recently. L'Humanite quotes him as saying, "why not?" See the original story in Le Monde here. But a press release from his party claims that his comments were meant in an ironic fashion. See also TV5's story, here.

And Le Monde asks what appear to me to be the right questions:

La société est invitée à réfléchir sur son destin. Bref, à son avenir. Se sent-elle assez forte, assez en accord avec ses valeurs de tolérance, d'égalité et de fraternité pour admettre le mariage homosexuel ? Pense-t-elle suffisamment dominer les mille et une variantes de procréation médicalement assistée qui recomposent en permanence notre vision du couple et des hommes ?