The French lower house is expected to give the final seal of approval on Tuesday to a controversial bill that will allow same sex couples to get married and adopt children.
The issue has divided the country with thousands of both pro and anti same sex marriage protests taking place in recent weeks, some that have turned violent.
Human rights groups say the number of homophobic assaults has risen in recent weeks including an attack on one man who uploaded a photo of his battered face on Facebook
French President Francois Hollande, who is grappling with a low popularity rating is hoping to win some support with the passage of the bill.