Two women succeeded in dodging France’s same-sex marriage ban to say “I do” on Saturday — because one of the happy couple is still, legally, a man.
Stephanie Nicot, 59, wed 27-year-old partner Elise in a town hall ceremony in Nancy in eastern France in what is said to be the first marriage of its kind in the country.
Stephanie, formerly Stephane, had sex reassignment surgery to become a woman but has refused to lodge documents, as required by French law, to also have her gender changed on the population register.
“It’s a symbol for millions of gays and lesbians who would like to have the same rights,” Nicot said of her marriage.
“It’s the first marriage in France of its kind,” Nancy’s deputy mayor Laurent Henart told AFP.
The newly-weds later joined around 2,000 members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for a march in the city.
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