Shocking and appallingly retrograde

[princealbertofb]

Frédéric Minvielle, 37, has had his French nationality withdrawn from him for having married a Dutchman. That is what the French Consulate announced to him last December, marriage between two same sex people being, in effect, forbidden in France. Having lived in the Netherlands for several years now, the man declared himself "hurt and humiliated" by this decision. He has just requested Dutch nationality, judging "his new country to be modern, open and tolerant, much more advanced on gay rights issues.

France-info are asking listeners to react...
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[princealbertofb]

I am personally shocked. They have done nothing wrong, nor that jeopardises the country by getting married in the Netherlands. At worst, their union could be recognised as just civil partnership in France.. But to take someone's nationality away for such a thing seems perfectly absurd.

[wouldlikemuscle]

I didn't even think that could be possible.. appalling it most certainly is.

Could you pick through a couple of the comments please PA... I don't speak French (so I let the funky music to the talkin.. :redface: ).. are there comments on both sides of this or is it pretty much one sided??

[marshlander]

It's pretty unbelieveable and quite shocking. Maybe there are factors in this case of which we aren't aware, but all the same ... :mad:

Until Albert can give us more details the following sums up the feeling of the few posts I read on the France-Info discussion ...

"L’homosexualité est dans la nature humaine comme l’heterosexualité. Si un heterosexuel se marie avec une neerlandaise heterosexuelle est il dechu de sa nationalité francaise ?" (which roughly translates as, "homosexuality and heterosexuality are both human nature. If a straight man married a straight Dutch woman does he forfeit his French nationality?").

Some contributors suggest this judgement goes against the code of liberty, equality, fraternity. One message seems to point out that if France had not removed this man's citizenship, it would logically have to accept same sex marriages. Personally, I don't follow the reasoning of that one, since a civil partnership in the UK would be accepted in France as a PACS (pacte civil de solidarité). Surely the same should be true of a marriage conducted in a country where it was allowed?

So, if PA and I went to Holland, or Belgium or Spain to get married, does that mean he would forfeit his French nationality? It's outrageous and very backward looking for a country that prides itself on its progressive human rights record.

[fjp999]

I didn't even think that could be possible.. appalling it most certainly is.

So what nationality is he now? That is really shocking. I hope it gets whoever made this decision into a lot of trouble

[princealbertofb]

I didn't even think that could be possible.. appalling it most certainly is.

Could you pick through a couple of the comments please PA... I don't speak French (so I let the funky music to the talkin.. :redface: ).. are there comments on both sides of this or is it pretty much one sided??

From those I've read, some of which I translated over the phone to Marshlander, there were two sides, some bigoted, some not, but it seemed that the majority of the postings were appalled.