Encounters with a gay and same sex marriage in France

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in France have been seen as traditionally liberal and some of the most advanced in Europe and worldwide.

Although same-sex sexual activity was a capital crime that often resulted in the death penalty during the Ancien Régime, all sodomy laws were repealed in 1791 during the French Revolution.

However, a lesser known indecent exposure law that often targeted homosexuals was introduced in 1960 before being repealed twenty years later. The age of consent for same-sex sexual activity was altered more than once before being equalized in 1982 under then–President of France François Mitterrand.

After granting same-sex couples domestic partnership benefits known as the civil solidarity pact, France became the thirteenth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2013, despite receiving opposition from across the country.

Laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity have been enacted since 1985.

Transsexuals are allowed to change their legal gender and in 2009, France became the first country in the world to declassify transsexualism as a mental illness. France has frequently been named one of the most gay friendly countries in the world. Recent polls have indicated that a majority of the French support same-sex marriage and in 2013, another poll indicated that 77% of the French viewed that homosexuality should be accepted by society, one of the highest in the world.

Paris has been named by many publications as one of the most gay friendly cities in the world, with Le Marais, Quartier Pigalle and Bois de Boulogne being said to have a thriving LGBT community and nightlife.