France's highest court has declared the country's first gay marriage unlawful and annulled the union between the two men.
The court ruled Tuesday that "under French law, marriage is a union between a man and a woman."
Stephane Charpin and Bertrand Charpentier were married in June 2004 in the town of Begles. Earlier court rulings have declared the wedding invalid.
The couple's attorney says parliament should decide whether to recognize gay marriage and not the courts. He said that the couple will consider taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
Homosexual couples are allowed to enter into basic civil unions in France, but do not enjoy the same advantages in taxes, inheritance and other civil matters as heterosexual married people.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
