MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Judge Annuls Gay Marriage; Congress Debates Same Sex Civil Unions

Alejandro and Gilles last Friday when the happy occasion

An Argentine national judge annulled on Tuesday a gay marriage between an Argentine national and a French businessman which took place five days ago, according to the Argentine news agency Telam.

The Argentine Congress meantime began the consideration of a bill making legal same sex civil unions, an initiative which counts with support from almost all political sectors. This is the second gay couple union to be annulled by Judge Martha Gomez Alsina. Weeks ago the magistrate adopted a similar decision with the first lesbian marriage in Argentina. The couple of Norma Castillo and Ramona Arévalo have been living together for over thirty years and their union was considered a milestone.

The Argentine gay rights group Federation of Argentine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans (FALGBT), had announced last Friday the civil law union of Alejandro Luna, 36, and Gilles Grall, 32, a Frenchman.

They were the fourth gay couple to marry in Buenos Aires so far. In December, two men—Alejandro Freyre and José Maria Di Bello—became the first gay couple to marry in Argentina. The couple married in the southern state of Tierra del Fuego after Governor Fabiana Ríos issued a special decree. The wedding was originally scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires, but a national judge ordered a halt to the ceremony at the last minute, overruling a lower court's decision.

“Gilles Grall is a French citizen,” Maria Rachid, president of FALGBT, said last Friday in a statement, “so this marriage is unique in allowing the couple to continue their relationship, and only through marriage may Gilles obtain permanent residence and remain in Argentina with the person he loves and chose to share his life with”. Grall, who met Luna during a 2008 business trip, said: “When you find love, anything is possible.”

In announcing the Luna-Grall marriage, Rachid urged lawmakers to approve the gay marriage bill.

Meanwhile, the Argentine Lower House after a frustrated session last week retook on Tuesday the consideration of a bill that would allow homosexual couples to get married. The debate was called by the opposition parties and—even though the ruling party has vowed not to muster quorum in any session called by the opposition—enough showed up on the House floor to begin discussion.

Last week's session failed to muster quorum after the ruling party decided not to attend a session in which the opposition was looking to approve an amendment regarding financial legislation.

Recognition of gay unions is gaining ground in Latin America. Several Argentine cities, including its largest city of Buenos Aires, have approved civil unions for gay couples. In March, a gay marriage law took effect in Mexico City, making it the first municipality in the region to approve such unions. Uruguay recognizes gay and lesbian couples with civil unions.