Argentina's Senate passed a gay marriage law early on Thursday following more than 14 hours of charged debate, as hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside the Congress in near-freezing temperatures. Senators voted 33-27 for the proposal, with three abstentions.
"We're now a fairer, more democratic society. This is something we should all celebrate," Maria Rachid, a leading gay rights activist, said as supporters of the law hugged each other and jumped up and down after the vote.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez supports gay marriage on human rights grounds and is expected to sign the law after her return from a state visit to China. The proposal cleared Argentina's lower house in May.
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Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, had raised particular concern about the adoption clause of the bill, saying it was important to ensure that children had as role models "both a father and a mother."
Good news, indeed!
The need for children to have male and female role models argument against same sex couples having adoption rights is unpersuasive and insulting, not only to same sex couples, but to single parents, who often, through no fault of their own, do not have a partner to help in caring for their children. That children have parents or caregivers who love them and attend to them properly should be the greatest concern of anyone who cares about the welfare of children. And what about friends and family members as role models? Children don't grow up in isolation booths.
It's way past time for the Roman Catholic Church, or any church for that matter, to be allowed to dictate what laws should be passed in a country or other political entity.
Thanks to David@Montreal.
Glenn Greenwald nails it:
ReplyDeleteThe contrast with the U.S. is quite instructive and depressing. Not only is the U.S. not close to nationally recognizing same-sex marriage, but we have a law -- the Defense of Marriage Act -- that explicitly bars the granting of any and all federal spousal rights whatsoever (including immigration rights) to same-sex couples. Despite the election of a President who campaigned on a pledge to overturn that law, and overwhelming Democratic control of Congress, repeal of that law isn't even on the table. ....
Virtually no national politician in the U.S. is even willing to advocate same-sex marriage, and those who advocate granting equal rights as part of "civil unions" refuse to take any real steps to bring that about. Amazingly, it was only this year that the U.S. ended the repellent ban on HIV+ individuals from even entering the country, one of only 12 countries (a list largely comprised of some of the worst human rights abusers) to have continued it that long.
It's worthwhile now and then to take stock of the vast disparity between how we like to think of ourselves and reality. When a country with Argentina's history and background becomes but the latest country to legally recognize same-sex marriage -- largely as the result of a population which demanded it -- that disparity becomes quite clear.
In the UK same sex couples have the right to be united in a civil partnership, and there are moves to make it more like a marriage by allowing religious elements to be included in the ceremony. Similarly, adoption is not ruled out for civil partners either.
ReplyDeleteGood news indeed.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
IT, Greenwald has it right. Was it always this way? Were politicians in the US always so fearful to express what may be controversial opinions, but opinions that at least some of their constituents hold?
ReplyDeleteFreda, that's all to the good.
That children have parents or caregivers who love them and attend to them properly should be the greatest concern of anyone who cares about the welfare of children. And what about friends and family members as role models? Children don't grow up in isolation booths.¨ GM
ReplyDeleteSometimes you knock my socks off! BRAVO for the capped BP oil spill (which simultaneously consided with Mimi´s plogging up a WEAK LINK (to the minds of modern/healthy woman/man)!
Leonardo, you knock MY socks off, sweetie.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's good news from the Gulf finally. Let's hope the tests show that the well is not compromised in other ways and leaking oil from fissures.
The need for children to have male and female role models argument against same sex couples having adoption rights is unpersuasive and insulting
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, though this is precisely what the Archbishop of York very recently gave as his opinion.
(PS. Alas, for Callum. He does look like such a beautiful dog.)
ReplyDeleteCathy, I wonder if it ever occurs to such as Sentamu that those they speak of are human beings, and even fellow Christians. Do they never suspect that the folks may have feelings? I wonder. Sentamu fled Uganda because he feared persecution! You'd think he could make the leap.
ReplyDeleteI think he had decided that if lesbian couples were allowed IVF in some way it was fathers who were being persecuted, by being devalued. It's very strange logic.
ReplyDeleteIf opposite sex couple are allowed IVF, one might say the same thing - at least by my crazy logic.
ReplyDeleteIt probably helped the cause of gay marriage in Argentina that the Roman Catholic Church was complicit in the Dirty War of the 1970s.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/world/americas/17church.html?_r=1
I think a big reason for an ever secularizing Western world is that Rome and so many other churches placed themselves, not just on the losing side of so many conflicts, but the wrong side of them.
Counterlight, you're probably right. Not all the leaders in the church were like Oscar Romero.
ReplyDeleteI think a big reason for an ever secularizing Western world is that Rome and so many other churches placed themselves, not just on the losing side of so many conflicts, but the wrong side of them.
ReplyDeleteThis is totally correct, I think.
Two of the most wonderful young adults I know are children of same-sex couples. Few can do the job as well as their parents did.
ReplyDelete