Argentina has become the first Latin American country to allow gay couples to marry and adopt children, defying Catholic opposition to join the ranks of a few mostly European nations with similar laws.
Argentina's Senate passed a gay marriage law early Thursday following more than 14 hours of charged debate, as hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside the Congress in near-freezing temperatures. Senators voted 33-27 for the proposal, with three abstentions.
"We're now a fairer, more democratic society. This is something we should all celebrate," Maria Rachid, a leading gay rights activist, said as supporters of the law hugged each other and jumped up and down after the vote.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez supports gay marriage on human rights grounds and is expected to sign the law after her return from a state visit to China. The proposal cleared Argentina's lower house in May.
Fernandez told state news agency Telam the law was a "positive step that defends minority rights." A nominally Roman Catholic country, Argentina is now at the vanguard of gay rights in the region.
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