Dear Marriage Ally,

I write to you from France, where a pro-marriage rebellion is underway!

Francois Hollande, the ultra liberal President of France, swept into power last May, promising among many other things a swift legalizing of same-sex marriage and adoption.

But the people of France did not want this to be.

You see, the French people know in their bones that every child deserves a mother and father. And so they took to the streets – hundreds of thousands of them!

I am proud to be a part of this historic moment in France. See for yourself:

The pro-marriage movement in France is passionate, diverse, uncompromising and inspired. They are also calm, rational and persistent.

This was the biggest pro-marriage demonstration to date. Conservative estimates number the crowds in the hundreds of thousands.

They held signs that read "Une papa, une maman pour TOUS les enfants! — which means "A dad, a mom for ALL children." Some children held signs that read "Made in papa + maman": "Made in mom and dad."

I have been so excited to be part of this new international solidarity movement in defense of marriage, children and family.

I will certainly be reflecting more on this experience on my flight home. And I would ask you to join me in thinking about more creative ways we can proclaim our pro-marriage views with passion and conviction...and in the public square where our fellow Americans can see our fervor and resolution.

I can't wait to come back to the country I love.

But I am inspired to see that those of us in America who hold the institution of marriage sacred truly have so many friends overseas and around the world.

A new day is dawning for marriage.

As I said when I ended a speech last night before a group of French leaders in the fight to protect marriage: Vive le Marriage -- Vive la France!