Happy Mother's Day (And She'd Better Be a Woman)

Today is Mother's Day in France, and those people still dissatisfied with the newly minted French law that mandates marriage equality for all chose this symbolic day to march down Boulevard St.-Germain in the Left Bank and reassert their contention that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

We'd estimate the crowd in the low tens of thousands, but they were loud. France is the fourteenth country to legalize gay marriage, and the first ceremony is expected May 29th, the first day such a union will be possible in France.  The law also allows all married couples to adopt children.

We couldn't help but make a few comparisons between the gay rights advocates and their parades we've attended, and today's Mother's Day demonstration, so we'll sprinkle those observations throughout.

There were many more French flags today.

 

Many more children.

Many more priests.

Far fewer people of color.

However, we saw many similarities. For example, both groups favor pink.

 

Both go for wigs.

 

Both blow whistles.

 

Both claim interfaith support.

Both sing the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise."

Both have disco blaring from sound trucks that also feature colored smoke.

Both like blowing rainbow bubbles.

And both believe they are battling for the soul of France.

Kaaren is away from Paris. In her absence, this edition was photographed and written by Richard, and edited by her on-line.