Chile is closer to marriage equality than ever before after the national Senate passed a bill to legalise same-sex unions last week. According to the Buenos Aires Times, the bill was approved in 28-13 vote, and will now be sent to the Chamber of Deputies. If the Chamber approves the bill, it will head to the president and be signed into law.
Senate member, Yasna Provoste, said the bill will help Chile eradicate “all forms of discrimination” while advancing justice for LGBTQ+ people. If Chile legalises marriage equality, it will become the 6th South American country to do so, following Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay.
LGBTQ+ activists celebrated the news with local advocacy group, Movilh, calling the bill’s success a “triumph of justice and equality.” Same-sex unions were first legalised in Chile in 2015, and the marriage equality law has been in the works since 2017. Movilh criticised the government last year for neglecting the bill.