Argentina says ‘Si’ to Marriage Equality
Argentina has become the first country on the South American continent and the tenth country worldwide to legalise same-sex marriage.
The law before the Argentinian Senate had the backing of the President, Cristina Kirchner, and had already passed the country’s Congress.
Despite the Catholic Church in Argentina calling tens of thousands of conservative protesters onto the streets and a senate debate lasting 14 hours, the bill was passed in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Making things even more uncertain was that a senate committee had already voted nine-to-six the previous week to reject the bill in favour of another which would have created civil unions for same-sex couples.
The new marriage equality law also allows same-sex couples in Argentina to adopt.
Australian Marriage Equality’s Peter Furness said that Australia had been shamed by Argentina’s Senate vote for marriage equality.
“The Australian Government has brought shame and dishonour on this nation by not allowing same-sex couples to marry when an increasing number of other countries do”.
“The Argentinian Parliament has supported marriage equality because it is an important, mainstream, democratic reform – something the Australian Government has yet to grasp.”
Australian Marriage Equality will now write to President Cristina Kirchner, asking her to explain to Prime Minister Julia Gillard what Furness called, “the democratic values that underpin equality like the separation of church and state.”
Argentina joins South Africa, Canada, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands in legalising same-sex marriage – which is also legal in five US states, Washington DC and Mexico City.
In related news, Finland has announced plans to introduce marriage equality by 2012, while Luxembourg’s Minister of Justice may introduce a same-sex marriage bill as early as this week.
Nepalese MPs continue to draft a new constitution which is expected to make their nation the first in Asia to define marriage as a union of two people regardless of their sex.
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cheers to Paul Mitchell, armed with facts and logic. I wish I had your memory for history and facts. Keep stirring collective consciences m8.
Love from Hell xoxoxo
10 countries in 2010!!!!!
Congratulations Argentina – along with Portugal, the US state of New Hampshire, the District of Columbia (not to be confused with Washington State) and Iceland just this year!!!!
How very embarrassing that Germany, France, the UK, most of America’s states, New Zealand and us here in Australia have been “fearful” as in not taking the step or having the balls to implement full equality for all in marriage and adoption.
Also SSO forgot to mention Uruguay because they are also planning marriage equality as well this year.
Ireland also passed the “second-class status of civil partnerships” (based on the UK model – but without parentage and adoption rights) just last week!!!!
Denmark was the first to have “registered partnerships” back in 1989 – when I was just 3 years old by the way, and now they are the only Nordic nation not to propose marriage equality. From 1 July 2010 they did provide full joint adoption equality (so not all bad).
Here in Australia our marriage laws are stuck in 1961!!!!!
Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT and NSW all have registered partnerships – the ACT and WA have adoption equality. TAS only has partial adoption, for example step-child adoption, no rights for full joint adoption still in 2010.
Victoria and Tasmania is reviewing the laws on adoption and NSW will allow a “conscientious vote” in August 31 in the lower house since good old Clover Moore introduced the PMB (private members bill) into the lower house just recently. PMB generally do not pass – however there are times that they did
A bit of history on PMB:
Male homosexual acts we made legal in 1984 under a PMB introduced by then premier Neville Wran – then the age of consent was 18 for gay men, 16 for everyone else under an amendment by the member of the Illawarra at the time so it could pass the upper house. In 1999 the PMB to make the age of consent equal for gay men at 16 lost by just one vote. Then in 2003 a PMB passed to equalize the age of consent to 16. In 1993 Clover Moore as an independent MP (and still is) also made an amendment under a Liberal Government on the Homosexual Vilification law that passed by just one vote (so please do not give credit to the Liberals).
Time will tell if the ADOPTION AMENDMENT (SAME SEX COUPLES) BILL 2010 will pass here in NSW – will we have the votes to pass it??????
It is 2010 for goodness sake – I am mad, angry at our bigoted leaders and lawmakers here in Australia for goodness sake show some balls and leadership Julia Gillard – 60 percent of Australians SUPPORT marriage equality for all!!!!!!