—

Chile’s El Mercurio newspaper has reported that the Uruguayan Parliament is considering legislation legalising same-sex marriage.

The bill is being driven by the country’s ruling coalition, the Frente Amplio which has a majority in both houses – giving it an excellent chance of succeeding.

The bill’s author, Frente Amplio MP, Sebastián Sabini (pictured), told the newspaper, “We do not focus so much on the issue of gay marriage but of equal marriage regardless of sex, gender or religion.”

The bill, would amend the country’s Civil Code to refer to spouses instead of husband and wife, meaning transgender and intersex people would also be covered, and would allow non-biological parents in a marriage to be given parental rights and obligations to their partners’ biological children.

Sabini said he had found, “good support and no opposition,” to the bill among his colleagues and the bill is expected to be passed in the next few months by the Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies and in its Senate before the end of the year.

Homosexuality has been legal in Uruguay since 1934, and the country became the first South American nation to create civil unions for same-sex couples in 2007.

Argentina became the first South American country to legalise same-sex marriage in 2010.