Church loses fight against legalisation of ‘gay marriage’
Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to legally recognise gay marriage, despite intense opposition by the Roman Catholic Church.
Same-sex marriage was legalised in a 33 to 27 vote, with three abstentions in the predominantly Catholic nation on July 15. The unprecedented legislation offers gay couples all the same rights given to their heterosexual counterparts, including adopting children.
While same-sex civil unions are recognised in Buenos Aires, parts of Mexico and Brazil and in Uruguay, no other Latin American country prior to Argentina had allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry.
President Cristina Fernandez and her center-left government are strong advocates of gay rights and legalisation of gay marriage and Fernandez has stated she will sign the legislation.
According to The Associated Press, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, commented that “everyone loses” with the legalisation of gay marriage. He also said children need to be raised by both a father and a mother.
Argentina now joins nine other countries in the world where same-sex marriage is legal, including Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Nether-lands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden.
