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Argentina Going Into Final Vote On Marriage Equality

07/14/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Argentine Congress in order to protest for and against a proposed law which would extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples in the nation. Argentina saw large crowds of supporters who want this measure pushed through while many following the urging of the Roman Catholic Church have called for this measure to be voted down. The main slogan being used by the Roman Catholic Church’s supporters is “the children have a right to a mother and a father.” This is largely because the bill will also open up adoption rights to same-sex couples. The protests happened Sunday.

The vote in the Argentine Senate will happen today. According to the New York Times, as quoted in the Advocate, “If the Senate votes for the bill, approved by the lower house of Congress in May, Argentina would become the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriages affording all rights of heterosexual unions. Mexico City became the first jurisdiction in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriages in December. Two other countries in the region, Uruguay and Colombia, allow civil unions for gay couples.”

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner supports same sex marriage. She stated with regards to this “They are portraying this as a religious moral issue and as a threat to ‘the natural order,’ when what we are really doing is looking at a reality that is already there. It would be a terrible distortion of democracy if they denied minorities their rights.” President Fernández has vowed to not veto the legislation if it comes to her desk. Her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner is the one spearheading the push in the Argentine Congress to get this bill made into law.

Roughly 70% of all Argentinians support marriage equality within their nation. This means that the nation is following the will of the people and not the dictates of a small, religious minority. In the United States, 75% of Americans support the flat out repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and a majority of Americans support civil unions. Unfortunately, the Democrats have been too timid to push for the repeal of DADT or the Defense of Marriage Act outright.