I don't know hhow mutch credibility there is regarding this article since it did come from a gay website and I couldn't find any other articles regarding the matter. Uruguay First Latin American Country To Legalize Civil Unions by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff Posted: November 29, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET (Montevideo) The lower house in Uruguay's Congress passed legislation Thursday allowing same and opposite-sex couples to form civil unions. A similar bill has already passed the Senate. The two measures need to be harmonized into a single bill and receive a final vote - something considered only a formality. The measure is expected to become law next month. The measure was a campaign promise of the ruling leftist coalition. Same-sex marriage will remain illegal in Uruguay, something LGBT rights groups say they will continue to fight. But, they say the civil union bill is a major step in the right direction in a region where the Catholic Church dominates much of everyday life. Under the legislation couples would have be together for at least five years and sign a registry. They would then receive pension, inheritance and parenting rights. In neighboring Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul state which lies along the border, passed civil union legislation in 2004, two years after Buenos Aires passed a similar law. Civil unions also are legal in Mexico City and Coahuila state. But this would make Uruguay the first country in Latin America to have a national civil union law. ©365Gay.com 2007
Well progress is progress, but the couple has to be together 5 years? Do they make heterosexual couples be together 5 years before applying for a marriage license?
From the wording of this article, it does seem like heterosexual couples are treated the same as homosexual couples.
Well, not really. (I'm Uruguayan for those who don't know) Yes, heterosexual and homosexual civil unions are exactly the same. People are considered in civil union after 5 years of living together (so no "gay weddings"). However, the problem of discrimination is still huge in Uruguay, as in all South American countries. Few Uruguayans are actively religious but Christian morality is still deep-rooted in the society.
