Chile legalises same-sex marriage, adoption. What is the new law all about?
On December 7, Chile legalised same sex marriages. Known to be a historically Catholic country, there was an overwhelming level of support towards the Bill in the Chilean parliament. The new law also enables same sex partners to adopt children. Chile's LGBTQIA+ community has been pushing for the law since its stalling by Congress in 2017.
The Bill was passed in the Chamber of Deputies (Lok Sabha in India) by 82 votes to 20, shortly after it was passed in the Senate (the Upper House) on 21 to 8 votes. There were two abstentions in the Chamber of Deputies and three in Senate.
The Bill will come into full force after 90 days of its publication in the official gazette. The law will now also recognise marriages of same-sex couples performed abroad and the definition of marriage as "a solemn contract between two people" rather than between a man and a woman.
The Latin American country had previously approved civil unions between same-sex couples in 2015 and allowed them to register for a Civil Union Agreement (AUC) that provides them with a few legal benefits. The Bill to legalise same sex marriage that was presented by former Left-leaning President Michelle Bachelet continued to languish in the Congress for four years.
The Bill received backlash from Bachelet's allies including evangelical lawmaker Leonidas Romero of the National Renewal (RN) party. Romero had described the law change as "a tremendous betrayal for the Christian world".
Although the Bill was supported by President Sebastián Piñera, it received critcism from members of his conservative coalition. During his annual State of the Union address in June, Piñera had vowed to push the Bill through parliament. He said in his address that Chile must "guarantee this freedom and dignity to all people". Piñera said to the onlookers, "I think we should deepen the value of freedom, including the freedom to love and to form a family with a loved one. Also the value of the dignity of all relationships of love and affection between two people."
Other Latin America countires that have legalised same-sex marriage are Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and 18 states in Mexico and Mexico City.