Two men married early Wednesday morning
in Buenos Aires, Argentina, bringing the number of gay marriages
performed in the country since December up to eight, Telam
reported.
Argentina does not permit same-sex
couples to marry, but a string of recent judicial rulings appears to
have softened the law even as senators debate whether to legalize the
institution.
Diego de Jesus Arias, 40, and Leonardo
Miguel de Santo, 37, married in a civil ceremony after a judge ruled
in their favor.
“It's a fantastic feeling, the same
as many of you must have felt when you married,” Arias told
reporters after he exchanged vows.
Attending the ceremony were Alex Freyre
and Jose Maria Di Bello, the first gay couple to marry in Argentina
last December.
A gay marriage bill approved in May by
Argentina's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies (la Camara de
Diputados), is being reviewed in the Senate General Law Committee.
The panel began a four-city hearing tour on June 14 that wrapped up
Monday in Mendoza and is expected to deliver its recommendations to
the Senate on July 6. The full Senate is scheduled to take up the
bill on July 14, a Wednesday. A consensus on the issue in the Senate
has yet to materialize.
But senators do appear united against
putting the question of gay marriage up
for a vote as proposed by officials of the Roman Catholic Church.
The marriage comes two days after an
estimated 2,000 people rallied in front of the National Congress
urging lawmakers to approve the bill.
Speaking to reporters after the
ceremony, gay activists urged the Senate to approve the law.
If approved, Argentina would become the
first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage. Officials in
Mexico City legalized the institution late last year. Several
progressive cities and countries in the region recognize gay couples
with civil unions, including Buenos Aires and Uruguay. Chile
is preparing to debate a civil unions bill supported by its new
president.