There are hopes that Chile may become the 21st country to legalize same-sex marriage this month as a cross party group of lawmakers have pledged to introduce a bill on the issue before the end of next week.

The MPs, from the Christian Democrats, Socialist Party, Party for Democracy and Amplitude movement, say they expect the bill to go to the Congress on Wednesday or Thursday and hope that the Government of Michelle Bachelet will back the reform.

Bachelet said she supported same-sex couples being allowed to marry prior to her re-election in March of this year but her government is yet to address the issue – though a bill which would have created civil unions for gay couples was passed by the Senate this year.

That bill has yet to be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies though, and Bachelet has been promising legal recognition for same-sex couples since before her first term as president in 2006.

Christian Democrat deputy Gabriel Silber told MDZ Online that it was important that ‘equal feelings, must have equal rights – there is no reason to have first and second class citizens.’

‘We hope that the Government sponsors the initiative and drives its progress by giving it proper priority. We will meet with government ministers once we table the bill, for co-sponsorship.’

Bachelet’s Socialist government has a majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate so it is hopeful that Chile will become the latest South American country to allow same-sex couples to legally wed if it puts its support behind the bill.

Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil are the South American countries that already allow same-sex couples to wed.