Friday, July 16 – Yesterday, the Argentinean Senate approved a bill that would grant their gay and lesbian countrymen the right to marry. Much like here in the U.S., the issue was marked by a strong division between gay rights advocates and traditional marriage supporters. Gay rights supporters prevailed with a 33-27 majority, with three of the Senate’s members not exercising their voting power.
Debate on the bill required 14 hours in session before the Senate came to a final vote. Outside the halls of the Senate, hundreds of gay marriage supporters waited hours to hear the decision. Slightly after 4:00 AM, the 37-degree weather was suddenly not so cold when news of the bill’s passing warmed the hearts of the hundreds waiting.
While the bill has passed in the Senate, it is not official Argentinean law until signed by President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner. A strong gay rights advocate, President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner plans to sign the bill quickly.
While the bill won the support of the Senate and President, not all sectors of Argentinean society are as supportive. The city of Buenos Aires has been supportive of the new bill, much like in the U.S. where city dwellers also tend to be supportive of gay rights. Other areas in Argentina are traditionally conservative and the majority of Argentina’s population is Roman Catholic, a faith that traditionally opposes same-sex marriage.
Opponents of the same-sex marriage bill proposed a same-sex union bill as a compromise to marriage. However, this bill omitted several rights for gay and lesbian couples that are provided in the marriage bill passed by the Senate.
According to the Associated Press, the same-sex union bill would have limited certain rights including the right to adopt children or pursue in-vitro fertilization. In addition, any civil servant could “conscientiously object” to registering a gay and lesbian couple in a same-sex union.
On the contrary, Argentina’s approved same-sex marriage bill will allow gay and lesbian couples every right of traditional marriage, including the right to adopt and inherit property.
Besides Argentina, Mexico City is currently the only place in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. In Argentina, the first gay marriage is set for August 13 between 60 -year-old Ernesto Rodriguez Larrese and 61-year-old Alejandro Vanelli, who have lived together for 34 years.
Comments
Kudos to Argentina for joining with other countries and cities in legalizing marriage equality.
Onward to full civil and marriage equality rights in 21st century America,
Joe Mustich & Ken Cornet, Justices of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut, USA.
In CT we legalized civil unions in 2005 and marriage equality in 2008. So kudos to CT, its citizens and civil marriages.
The world is changing. Within the last two months.........
1. catholic Portugal passed gay marriage, including getting the signature of their conservative President.
2. Iceland approved gay marriage by a stupendous 49 to 0 vote of their parliment
3. Very catholic Ireland approved civil unions for gay people.
4. And now marriage in Argentina.
5 And chile is considering Civil Unions.
In Western Europe the only two nations not recognizing gay couples legally are Italy and Greece. The reason why is obvious.
In Latin America, Columbia, Uruguay, Equador recognize gay couples legally. Parts of Mexico and Brazil do also. And Argentina has full marriage equality. For these two parts of the world, the battle is all but won
And other nations recognizing gay couples legally include Chech repub, Austria, HUngary, Israel, Repub of South Africa, Nepal, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. And in a special situation Japan
Its time America gave "equal justice for all", as pe
Uruguay legalized it first!
It is true Uruguay was the first to grant same-sex unions in Latin American, which is a seperately (and not equal) institution than marriage. Argentina howver was th first to legalize gay marriage. Argentinas law means hetero and homosexuals have the same access to marriage and it's rights. In Uruguay, they're separate.
Homosexuality is not a sin according to the Bible. Any educated Christian would know that. Scholars who have studied the Bible in context of the times and in relation to other passages have shown those passages (Leviticus, Corinthians, Romans, etc) have nothing to do with homosexuality. These passages often cherry-picked while ignoring the rest of the Bible. The sins theses passages are referring to are idolatry, prostitution, and rape, not homosexuality.
(Change *** to www)
***.soulfoodministry.org/docs/English/NotASin.htm
***.jesus21.com/content/sex/bible_homosexuality_print.html
***.christchapel.com/reclaiming.html
***.stjohnsmcc.org/new/BibleAbuse/BiblicalReferences.php
***.gaychristian101.com/
Homosexuality is not a choice. Just like you don't choose the color of your skin, you cannot choose whom you are sexually attracted to. If you can, sorry, but you are not heterosexual, you are bi-sexual. Virtually all major psychological and medical experts agree that sexual orientation is NOT a choice. Most gay people will tell you its not a choice. Common sense will tell you its not a choice. While science is relatively new to studying homosexuality, studies tend to indicate that its biological.
(Change *** to www)
***-news.uchicago.edu/releases/03/differential-brain-activation.pdf
***.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html
Gay, Straight Men's Brain Responses Differ
***.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155990,00.html
***.livescience.com/health/060224_gay_genes.html
***.springerlink.com/content/w27453600k586276/
The National Library of Medicine pubs confirm that sexual orientation is natural, biologically induced in the first trimester of pregnancy, morally neutral, immutable, neither contagious nor learned, bearing no relation to an individuals ability to form deep and lasting relationships, to parent children, to work or to contribute to society.
From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is normal; homosexual relationships are normal.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Asociation and American Psychiatric Asociation have endorsed civil marriage for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors.
America's premier child/mental health associations endorse marriage equality.
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