French House OKs Gay Marriage; 1 Step Remains

Same-sex marriage is now just one step away from being legal in France. The country's lower house of parliament today voted 329 to 229 to approve a controversial bill that would redefine a marriage as a contract between two people, without reference to gender, allowing gay and lesbian couples to both get married and adopt children, France 24 reports. The bill faced fierce opposition from France's Catholics, and from conservative lawmakers, who introduced more than 5,000 amendments to delay its passage. But now the bill needs only to clear the senate to become law, according to CNN. The vote comes as a similar bill is working its way through the UK parliament. (More France stories.)