French women flock to Belgium to conceive

It is believed that some 2,000 babies are born each year to French lesbian couples who come to Belgium for artificial insemination. Plans by France's Socialist government to extend marriage and adoption rights to gay couples have proven deeply divisive, igniting fierce protests from various religious leaders and even mass rallies in Paris. In Belgium, by contrast, same-sex civil marriage has been allowed since 2003, and artificial insemination is available regardless of civil status or sexual orientation since 2007. This has prompted the drastic increase over the past three years in the number of mostly French lesbian couples taking the Thalys back and forth between Paris and Brussels in their quest to have a child, a so-called "Thalys baby".