Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Uruguay Passes Gay Marriage While USA and Virginia Lag Behind


Yet another western hemisphere nation has joined the ranks of nations providing full marriage equality to all of its citizens, gay and straight.  This time the nation embracing equality for all its citizens is Uruguay, another historically Catholic nation.  Meanwhile, America and states like Virginia lag behind and make a mockery of America's supposed moniker as the "land of liberty" and a land of "religious freedom."   Freedom to Marry has details (the Montevideo newspaper, El Pais has details in Spanish):

The Uruguayan Senate passed freedom to marry legislation today allowing same-sex couples to marry, making Uruguay nearly certain to be the 15th nation in the world – and the fourth in Latin America – where gay and lesbian couples can share in the freedom to marry. The bill passed today had been modified slightly since passage by the Chamber of Deputies in December, but those changes are expected to be easily approved by the deputies. President José Mujica has said he intends to sign the bill.

Uruguay’s vote today to move past civil union to marriage itself, Argentina’s enactment of the freedom to marry in 2010 and the Mexico Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling last month in favor of the freedom to marry -- citing the U.S Supreme Court cases of Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia -- all are inspirations and examples decision-makers here in the United States, including our Supreme Court justices, should swiftly follow to get the U.S. where it needs to be.”

When marriages between same-sex couples begin this summer, Uruguay will join 11 countries that have the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide: The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, and Denmark. Three others have taken judicial and regional steps to allow same-sex couples to share in the freedom to marry in parts of the country: Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.
 The Washington Blade has additional coverage.  Here are highlights (note that the vote was not even close):
The Uruguay Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the South American country.  The 23-8 vote took place after an hours-long debate on the proposal.

The Uruguayan newspaper El País reported Sen. Rafael Michelini compared the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in Uruguay as a “profound modification” for society that one could compare to the abolition of slavery and the law that established an eight hour work day. Sen. Francisco Gallinal told fellow senators that nuptials for gays and lesbians does not guarantee equality.
Will the USA catch up with modernity and equality for all citizens?  Only time will tell.

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