Gay marriages, Latin style

In the past week or so, two Latin American regions (one country + one city) have decided to officially recognize gay marriage: the south American country of Argentina, and Mexico City, in the central American country of Mexico. Just today, a gay couple in Latin America were the first to legally wed in all of Latin America:

Two Argentinian men have tied the knot in Latin America's first gay marriage. 

Tierra del Fuego provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter said the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.

Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings.

An official representing the federal government's anti-discrimination agency attended the wedding. Claudio Morgado called the marriage "historic".

Argentina's constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to state and city officials.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hOCM-pzNwRw_8WopH9qhcf1_V99w 

see also the NYT story: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/28/world/international-us-argentina-gay-marriage.html?_r=1

And in Mexico City, adoption by same sex couples is legalized, as well as marriage! BRAVO!!!!  (see article below):

Mexico City legalizes same-sex marriage, adoption
by Rex Wockner
Bay Windows Contributor
Monday Dec 28, 2009

Mexico City’s official seal.    Email Print  Share Buzz up!

Mexico City’s Legislative Assembly voted 39-20 to legalize same-sex marriage Dec. 21.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard supports the measure and will sign it.

It redefines "marriage" as "the free uniting of two people."

The bill also explicitly legalizes adoption by gay couples.

Federal benefits, such as pension, inheritance and social-security rights, will remain off-limits to married gay couples without changes in federal law to recognize the Mexico City marriages.

Politicians from Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s conservative National Action Party have threatened to try to overturn the new law via a challenge in the Supreme Court, arguing that it violates the federal constitution.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. It also is legal in the United States in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

-------What the above article doesn't mention is that Washington DC can also be added to the list of places in the U.S. where gay marriage is now legally recognized (Conn., Iowa, MA, New Hampshire). So exciting!


In Sapphic love,