France: Security high as gay couple wed in ‘historic’ ceremony

BY NATASHA BARSOTTI — Vincent Autin, 40, and Bruno Boileau, 29, were married in Montpellier’s town hall, with security on high alert in the wake of last weekend’s violent clashes between police and protesters who took part in a large anti-gay-marriage march in Paris.

The couple’s marriage, recognized as France’s first same-sex wedding, was deemed a “historic moment” by Montpellier Mayor Hélène Mandroux, who officiated at the ceremony, Pink News reports. The report notes that Mandroux, who reportedly received threats and was warned in one telephone call to “get bodyguards,” didn’t seem perturbed as she performed the ceremony before a large gathering that included family, friends, government officials and a strong showing of journalists.

Autin and Boileau, who have been together for more than five years, entered to the song “LOVE,” by Nat King Cole, and a standing ovation from the crowd and walked out to “Love and Marriage,” by Frank Sinatra, the report says.

Watch Agence France-Presse video of the ceremony.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

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