Argentina passes gay marriage bill

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 4:26am

https://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/15/Argentina_Passes_Gay_Marriage/

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 15, 2010


Filed at 7:51 a.m. ET

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, becoming the first country in Latin America to grant gays and lesbians all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.

After a marathon debate, 33 lawmakers voted in favor, 27 were against it and 3 abstained in Argentina's Senate in a vote that ended after 4 a.m. Since the lower house already approved it, and President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter, it now becomes law as soon as it is published in the official bulletin.

The law is sure to bring a wave of marriages by gays and lesbians who have increasingly found Buenos Aires to be more accepting than many other places in the region.


In a debate that lasted well into the early hours of Thursday morning, Argentina's Senate voted 33-27 to make theirs the first country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage.

Gay rights activists had predicted a close vote. According to reports, debate in Buenos Aires lasted until four in the morning.

The subject of marriage has been a hot button issue in Argentina for the past several months. In December, Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre (pictured) became the country's first legally married same-sex couple because of a legal loophole.

Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson issued the following statement early Tuesday morning: "Today's historic vote shows how far Catholic Argentina has come, from dictatorship to true democratic values, and how far the freedom to marry movement has come as twelve countries on four continents now embrace marriage equality. Argentina's vote for the freedom to marry marks an important advance for fairness and family values as more couples around the world will now share in marriage, with families helped and no one hurt. Today's vote adds momentum to the international movement to secure the freedom to marry for all loving and committed couples.

"Key to Argentina's human rights achievement was strong leadership from legislators and the president. It is time we see more of our own elected officials standing up for the Constitution and all families here in the United States. America should lead, not lag, when it comes to treating everyone equally under the law."

Read more: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessagemodern.cfm?thread=1019145&m=3978910&boardname=off&boardid=2#ixzz0tlhSx3sF

Updated On: 7/15/10 at 04:26 AM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 7:08am

This won't be easy... you'll think it strange!

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 8:34am

Hooray! I'm tying the knot next summer and I think a Buenos Aires wedding sounds like a fantastic idea.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 8:59am

Argentina Legalizes Gay Marriage
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 15, 2010


Filed at 7:51 a.m. ET

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, becoming the first country in Latin America to grant gays and lesbians all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.

After a marathon debate, 33 lawmakers voted in favor, 27 were against it and 3 abstained in Argentina's Senate in a vote that ended after 4 a.m. Since the lower house already approved it, and President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter, it now becomes law as soon as it is published in the official bulletin.

The law is sure to bring a wave of marriages by gays and lesbians who have increasingly found Buenos Aires to be more accepting than many other places in the region.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 10:19am

As I said in another thread, pretty soon only the US and the Middle East won't support full marriage equality.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 12:17pm

True that Phyllis...

[canmark]

Posted: 7/15/10 at 12:49pm

Here's a map of the countries with same-sex marriage:

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 2:13pm

Awesome!!! Thanks for posting the map. Glad to count Argentina among them...

The NYT had an article...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/americas/16argentina.html?_r=1

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 2:50pm

Doesn't Mexico have it too?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 3:08pm

I think it's just Mexico City, but I'm not completely sure.

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 3:33pm

That would still be a big step, it should be on that map.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 7:06pm

Is the map wrong? Or did England abolish same sex marriage?

[Q]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 8:38pm

England only legalized civil unions, I believe.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/16/10 at 10:50pm

The map is for blaxxikins. :)

For some reason I thought the UK had equally civil partnerships for straight and gay couples, but my cursory internet research shows I'm wrong. Perhaps someone like Weez or Scripps can come and enlighten us.

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/17/10 at 12:56am

Much appreciated, love.

Updated On: 7/17/10 at 12:56 AM