Will you ‘not marry’ me?

Chile is planning to recognise the relationships of same-sex couples through civil unions — but don’t mistake them for marriages.

The official terminology for the civil unions will be ‘Acuerdo de Convivencia No Matrimonial’ — literally, ‘A Cohabitation Agreement which is Not a Marriage’.

To be eligible, a couple must have lived together for a year, whereas there is no such requirement for a couple who are marrying. Couples will co-sign their documentation in front of a notary, which will then be signed by the civil registry within 15 days, to avoid a ceremony that might resemble a marriage.

To distinguish them even further from marriage, the “non-marital cohabitation agreements … will not alter the marital status of the contractor or establish kinship by affinity with any relatives of the other”.

The Catholic Church is so powerful in Chile that divorce was only legalised in 2004 and the church is expected to oppose the reforms despite the efforts to distinguish them from marriage. The agreements will also be open to heterosexuals.