I felt a real sense of pride for my fobby counterparts in Argentina last week when I read that the country became the first in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. And it’s none of the beat-around-the-bush “civil union” stuff either. Argentina declared that gays and lesbians will have all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples, which means that gay and lesbian married couples will be able to adopt children and inherit wealth.
Joining in on the celebration of equal rights, Mexico City has offered a free honeymoon to the first same-sex couple to marry in Argentina. Mexico City legalized gay marriage last year.
It really made me think – even though I live in San Francisco, known as the hub of all things gay-friendly, the US still has a long way to go before truly embracing equality for all. Meantime, maybe we should be looking around the world – perhaps to countries deemed “less developed” – for guidance and leadership in what fairness and democracy looks like.
“Society has grown up,” said Sen. Daniel Filmus, who urged lawmakers last Thursday to show the world how much Argentina has matured. “We aren’t the same as we were before.”
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