Court annuls France's first same-sex marriage

A French court annulled France's first gay marriage yesterday, setting a legal precedent for outlawing same-sex marriages that came down on the side of the conservative government.

The government had already declared the marriage invalid and suspended the mayor who conducted it on June 5 in the Bordeaux suburb of Begles. The court ruling was a blow for opposition politicians who want to make gay marriages legal.

"The tribunal declared null and void the marriage between Mr Stephane Chapin and Mr Bertrand Charpentier," the court in Bordeaux, the main city near Begles, said in its ruling.

Mr Chapin, a 33-year-old home care worker, and Mr Charpentier, a 31-year-old shop worker, said they would appeal against the ruling and take their fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

"We will fight to the end, as we said two months ago, but we will win because we have faith in our country," Mr Charpentier said outside the court.

The couple's lawyer, Emmanuel Pierrat, said the court had based its ruling on the argument that marriage is traditionally considered the foundation of the family and that one of its main functions is to have children.

He said the couple remained legally married pending their appeal.

Justice Minister Dominique Perben had said immediately after the marriage that it was null and void. The Interior Ministry suspended local Mayor Noele Mamere for conducting the ceremony following warnings by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Mr Mamere, a Green member of parliament who is waging a battle against traditional family values, said he was not surprised by the court's decision.