A famous far-right historian and anti-gay marriage activist has shot himself inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, at around 4pm local time today (21 May).

Dominique Venner, 78, committed suicide in front of several tourists in the renowned French temple of Christianity.

Police confirmed the suicide, but Venner’s reasons are still unknown.

The cathedral was also evacuated. A letter was found on Venner’s body, but its content has not been revealed.

The mayor of Montpellier, France announced that her city will celebrate the first gay marriage on 29 May.

The celebration will take place as soon as the French marriage equality law is officially promulgated, ten days after signed by president François Hollande and published in the Official Journal, explained today (18 May) the city’s mayor Hélène Mandroux.

Assaults on the LGBT community and incidents of homophobic hate speech have both risen sharply in France over the last year.

The number of calls to SOS Homophobie’s helpline were up by 27% on the previous year.

Homophobic hate crime spiked last year in the run-up to the French parliament's approval of a Bill allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.

Incidents doubled in October and November when compared with the previous year, and tripled in December.

France’s National Assembly has voted for the last time to make same-sex marriage and adoption legal today (23 April).

The ‘Marriage for All’ bill has divided the nation, with several large protests being held for and against equality.

In recent weeks, homophobic attacks have spiked and some legislators have received threats.

The ‘Marriage for All’ bill will now be sent to President François Hollande, who has 15 days to sign it into law.

The head of the French parliament has received a letter containing gunpowder, ordering him to put off tomorrow’s vote on marriage equality.

Claude Bartolone, the Socialist President of France’s National Assembly, received the threatening letter today (22 April).

The one-page letter warns: ‘You wanted war, and you’ve got it.’

Men are stripping to the waist, scribbling slogans on their body, holding hands and demonstrating across France against gay marriage.

Sometimes masked, sometimes gagged but almost always half-naked, they are Les Hommen – an action group against marriage equality.

It appears to be a parody of Femen, the topless feminist protestors who rallied against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s gay rights record on his recent visit to Amersterdam.

French President Francois Hollande has warned those behind a rise in homophobic violence will be punished.

As the National Assembly prepares for a final vote on the ‘Marriage for All’ law, the once peaceful protests have become more violent.

In one attack, four men broke into a gay bar in the northern city of Lille and three employees were assaulted.

French police say they have arrested around 70 people and put them in custody after they tried to set up an anti-gay protest camp outside the National Assembly.

The French Senate has now approved same-sex marriage and adoption by gay couples. Now lawmakers have moved it back to the National Assembly for a vote earlier than expected – on 23 April.

The law commission of the French Senate has approved gay marriage bringing the legislation one step closer to becoming law.

The senators approved the text of the equal marriage legislation previously adopted by the deputies of the National Assembly.

The final text of the legislation will now be voted on by the full Senate in 15 days time.

Cameroon President Paul Biya has said attitudes are changing in his country towards gay people.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with French President Francois Hollande, Biya stressed homosexuality had been illegal in Cameroon long before he came to power more than 30 years ago, Reuter reports.

He said: ‘Now I can say that discussions are under way. People are talking, minds can change one way or another but currently it’s a crime.’

The French LGBT magazine Têtu has been bought by entrepreneur Jean-Jacques Augier, a close friend of President François Hollande.

The publisher Pierre Bergé has sold Têtu for a symbolic price of €1 and now the monthly magazine risks losing half of its full time staff.

According to Le Nouvel Observateur, which reported the news of the sale, Têtu is losing €1.5 million ($2 million) every year. The magazine employs 27 full time reporters.

Augier has bought Têtu in the middle of the debate on gay marriage in France.

French President François Hollande has introduced a bill that would make it legal for same-sex couples in his country to marry and to adopt children.

The bill could become law within the next few months and there have been plenty of protests against it including hundreds of thousands of people who gathered near the Eiffel Tower to express their opposition.

None of those people will likely be very happy with the latest issue of Elle magazine hitting newsstands on Friday (18 January).