Uruguay considering gay marriage law

BY NATASHA BARSOTTI — Uruguay, which already has a civil unions law, is considering a gay marriage law that would include allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, US News reports.

The measure, drafted by queer activists of the so-called Black Sheep Collective and supported by the governing Broad Front coalition, is scheduled for debate next week in the House of Deputies’ constitutional commission, the report says.

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), collective member Federico Grana says contemporary society is “much broader than the heterosexual, and the civil code should reflect this: a marriage institution that applies equally to all.

“This goes well beyond homosexuality — it’s a law that gives all the same rights and responsibilities,” Grana adds.

If the measure is approved, Uruguay would become the second South American country, after Argentina, to legalize gay marriage.

Catholic bishop Jaime Fuentes opposes the development. “It seems logical that two people of the same sex who care for each
other and want to share their lives together can have some sort of civil
acknowledgement, but it can’t be the same as what governs marriage,”
Fuentes told AP. “Giving this kind of union the same obligations and rights
as marriage would represent serious discrimination against a married
man and woman.”

Landing image: greenwichmeantime.com

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

Keep Reading

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose