France may be the next nation to grant Marriage Equality to its citizens with the ‘Marriage for All’ Bill passing through the National Assembly.

After weeks of debate, the French National Assembly has voted 329 to 229 in favour of the Marriage for All Bill, which hopes to bring Marriage Equality as well as adoption rights to same-sex couples.

The Bill will now progress to the Senate for debate and voting, with the Bill expected to pass in April.

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome commented: “France’s message to Australia and the world is that the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity apply equally to same-sex couples.”

“The French vote, together with last week’s overwhelming vote in the UK parliament, highlights how quickly Australia is falling behind other western countries.”

“Given the romance associated with Paris, I expect many Australian same-sex couples will marry under the new French law, only to return to Australia to find their solemn vow count for nothing.”