06/20/2007
Colombia Same-Sex Union Bill Thrown Out in Procedural Vote
A same-sex union bill that was approved by a lower house of Colombia's congress last week was thrown out after a group of senators used a procedural vote to change their votes, according to a wire report:
"The bill, backed by President Alvaro Uribe but opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, would grant gay couples living together for more than two years the same social security and estate inheritance guarantees as heterosexuals in common-law marriages. It would have been the first nationwide law of its kind in Latin America. Supporters say they will reintroduce the bill in the next legislative session."
UPDATE: Here's more on what went down. It was the religious wingnuts, of course:
"Sen. Manuel Virguez Piraquive, from a small party closely linked to an evangelical Colombian church, called for an unusual floor vote on the bill. Other conservative lawmakers then broke ranks with the pro-Uribe faction backing the bill and it was defeated, 34-29, in the 102-member Senate. Many of the bill's supporters were absent. The call for an individual votes was unusual, and some said unprecedented. Parties usually vote as blocs on the final, reconciled versions of bills in Colombia's legislature."
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 12:30 PM EST by Andy in Colombia, Gay Marriage, News | Permalink
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Andy, there seem to be comflicting news reports. Check this out:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/06/15/colombia.gay.rights.reut/index.html
Posted by: Derek | Jun 20, 2007 1:44:15 PM
Trust me,there are NOT conflicting reports about this, in fact there is just not report about what happened with the colombian congress yesterday: they took back the gay rights bill that they had passed last week ( the link that DEREK posted refers to last week's approval)...
I should know: I live in Colombia...
Ok, time to practice your spanish:this is the link [in spanish]that brings us the sad news:
http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2007-06-20/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3603488.html
Posted by: JORGE FLOREZ | Jun 20, 2007 2:00:50 PM
That looks like an old news report from 6/15 when the bill was actually approved.
Posted by: andy | Jun 20, 2007 2:01:38 PM
The Pope threatened the Catholic legislators with withheld communion and/or excommunication.
Nothing like religious extortion as a lobbying tactic.
Posted by: Zeke | Jun 20, 2007 3:16:52 PM
Ahh, so there is discrimination in the international, if not the US national, community and people won't financially support a successful model of gay people festively celebrating their freedom in New York. What a pity. Woe to you...
Posted by: Yoyce Apollo | Jun 20, 2007 10:49:52 PM
The Christian Taliban once again continue to rule the world.
Posted by: louie | Jun 21, 2007 1:51:40 AM