CHILE: Pols To Introduce Marriage Bill

A multi-party coalition of Chilean lawmakers say they plan to introduce a same-sex marriage bill next week. Via Gay Star News:

The MPs, from the Christian Democrats, Socialist Party, Party for Democracy and Amplitude movement, say they expect the bill to go to the Congress on Wednesday or Thursday and hope that the Government of Michelle Bachelet will back the reform. Bachelet said she supported same-sex couples being allowed to marry prior to her re-election in March of this year but her government is yet to address the issue – though a bill which would have created civil unions for gay couples was passed by the Senate this year. That bill has yet to be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies though, and Bachelet has been promising legal recognition for same-sex couples since before her first term as president in 2006. Christian Democrat deputy Gabriel Silber told MDZ Online that it was important that "equal feelings, must have equal rights - there is no reason to have first and second class citizens."

Same-sex marriage is legal in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Civil unions are recognized in Colombia and Ecuador.