Argentina legalizes the freedom to marry in historic vote
July 15, 2010
Posted by The Associated Press on msnbc.msn.com:
"Argentina legalized the freedom to marry 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.
... "Nine gay couples had already married in Argentina after persuading judges that the constitutional mandate of equality supports their marriage rights, but some of these marriages were later declared invalid.
"As the debate stretched on for nearly 16 hours, supporters and opponents of marriage equality held rival vigils through the frigid night outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires.
... "...Sen. Norma Morandini, another member of the president's party, compared the discrimination closeted gays face to the oppression imposed by Argentina's dictators decades ago.
"'What defines us is our humanity, and what runs against humanity is intolerance,' she said.
"Civil unions for same-sex couples have been legalized in Uruguay, Buenos Aires and some states in Mexico and Brazil. Mexico City has legalized the freedom to marry. Colombia's Constitutional Court granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans.
"But Argentina now becomes the first country in Latin America to legalize marriage equality nationwide, granting gays and lesbians all the same rights and responsibilities that heterosexuals have. These include many more rights than civil unions, including adopting children and inheriting wealth.
"Gay rights advocates said Argentina's historic step adds momentum to similar efforts around the world.
"'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,' said Evan Wolfson, who runs the U.S. Freedom to Marry lobby.
"He urged U.S. lawmakers to stand 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.'
... "The vote came after Sen. Daniel Filmus urged fellow lawmakers to show the world how much Argentina has matured.
"'Society has grown up. We aren't the same as we were before,' he said."
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