Story highlights France's lower house of parliament approves the bill 329 to 229 
 
 The legislation must be passed by the Senate before it can become law 
 
 The Roman Catholic Church and other religious groups in France are opposed 
 
 Supporters say same-sex couples should have equal rights to marry and adopt children 
 
 Same-sex marriage in France came one step closer to legality Tuesday, as lawmakers in the lower house of parliament approved a controversial bill that would extend the right to marry and adopt to same-sex couples. The legislation, which is President François Hollande’s first major social reform and a key election pledge, was backed by 329 deputies and opposed by 229. It will now go to the left-wing-controlled Senate, or upper house, on April 2, which is expected to approve it. The bill must go through several more stages before it can become law. The National Assembly, which is dominated by Hollande's Socialist Party, was expected to pass the bill Tuesday, having approved the most important article of the law with a wide majority earlier this month. But the plan faces stiff opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and social conservatives, with huge numbers turning out for protest marches in Paris in recent weeks. Once passed, the reform will see France join 11 other gay-marriage friendly countries including Spain, Sweden, South Africa and the Netherlands. Nine US states and Washington DC have also legalised same-sex marriage and British lawmakers have recently voted for marriage equality in the UK.
– Same-sex marriage is now just one step away from being legal in France. The country's lower house of parliament today voted 329 to 229 to approve a controversial bill that would redefine a marriage as a contract between two people, without reference to gender, allowing gay and lesbian couples to both get married and adopt children, France 24 reports. The bill faced fierce opposition from France's Catholics, and from conservative lawmakers, who introduced more than 5,000 amendments to delay its passage. But now the bill needs only to clear the senate to become law, according to CNN. The vote comes as a similar bill is working its way through the UK parliament.