Thousands took to the streets in France against IVF bill

Thousands of people thronged the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest a government-proposed bill that would allow single women and lesbian couples the same access to medically assisted fertility treatments as heterosexual couples, including IVF.

If passed, the new law would be France’s first major social reform since the legalisation of gay marriage in 2013.

IVF treatment in France is currently restricted to heterosexual couples.

The draft bill has been passed by the lower house of parliament. It will go before the Senate later this month.

Predictions on the number of protesters varied, with one research group saying 74,000 attended while organisers put the figure at around 600,000. Police put the attendance at 42,000.

The protest comes ten days after French lawmakers voted in favour of President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed MAP (medically assisted procreation) law which would, if approved by the senate later this autumn, hand single women and lesbian couples the same access to fertility treatments as married heterosexual couples.

Those opposing the bill argue that the law would deprive children of a necessary paternal figure and would threaten the traditional family structure.

 

Via France 24