[youtube=http://youtu.be/wW5YPx0lvHc]
Last month, President Francoise Hollande signed a law authorizing gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in France, but according to a new ad from Google, same sex couples have been using Google Hangouts to skirt the law for a few months.
The ad, which is quite the tearjerker, follows French couples who used the Google Hangout technology to get married in France by video conferencing with a Belgian mayor who seems more than happy to officiate the joyous occasions. Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, one of the world’s 14 nations that accepts same-sex marriage. The stars of the Google ad are Marc-Antoine and Sebastien, who met in 1976 and — thanks to Google — finally found a way to make their relationship official.
The couples’ union was put together by a group called by a French NGO called Together for Equality, or Tous Unis Pour L’Egalité. The group has already organized six weddings via the Google video platform and, as their video statement shows, they are ready to keep on going. While the largely symbolic ceremonies do not change the couple’s legal status in France, it’s clear that they are very meaningful, even if you’re just watching an ad about them.
MORE: French President Signs Gay Marriage Into Law
MORE: Same-Sex Marriage Legalization Seen as ‘Inevitable’ to Most Americans