The President of Chile—Michelle Bachelet—has introduced a same-sex marriage bill to congress.
“We can’t let old prejudices be stronger than love,” Bachelet in Chile’s La Moneda presidential palace.
“We do this with the certainty that it is not ethical or fair to put artificial limits on love, or to deny essential rights just because of the sex of those who make up a couple.”
A bill allowing same-sex couples to enter civil unions was passed in 2015 and Bachelet has since been promising to introduce a marriage equality bill, saying in January that it was “not only a demand of the international justice system but a legitimate demand of Chilean society.”
According to LGBT+ rights group —that consulted on the bill—the proposed legislation will redefine marriage to be between ‘two natural persons’ instead of a man and a woman.
The bill will also give adoption rights to couples, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, as well as granting same-sex couples access to assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF.
“We are in the presence of a historical event, where the president has guaranteed the processing of this bill, whatever the future government on duty,” said Movilh leader Rolando Jiménez in translated from Spanish.
“This is an invaluable contribution,” he continued.
“In Chile, the current marriage law is homophobic and violates the human rights of same-sex couples and families.
It is to end these injustices, recognised by the State in the agreement sealed with us, that today a bill is signed that will grant equal rights to couples, without exceptions, “ Jimenez said.
It is unclear whether the bill will pass before the end of Bachelet’s presidency in March 2018.
