As the French people clash over whether or not same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and adopt, French Elle has come out on the side of full rights.
Their latest issue's cover, featuring two of the most beautiful brides in the land, declares: "Marriage For All."
In her editor's letter, found via The Cut, editorial director Valerie Toranian notes that unlike other countries, where the debate is divided down predictable lines, the French conversation has been marked by an often contradictory and intersecting array of interests, ideologies and cultural beliefs.
This debate is not primarily between old and modern, right and left, homophobes and progressives: there are gay, pro-marriage Catholics, left- and right-leaning psychologists fiercely attached to the symbolism of gender difference as a necessity for any potential child. There are feminists who advocate for IVF for lesbians, but who oppose surrogate mothers for gays because they denounce the commodification of women's bodies.
And it's this swirling fondue of emotion that makes the debate such a strenuous one, and also helps explain why French citizens are more supportive of military action in Mali than marriage equality.
