Chile's Congress approves same-sex marriage by an overwhelming majority

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/ [login to see] /chile-same-sex-marriage
Chile approved marriage equality legislation in a landslide vote on Tuesday, after four years of inaction.

Both houses of Chile's Congress authorized the measure with overwhelming majorities, making it the eighth Latin American country to allow same sex marriage, as well as the 31st worldwide.

President Sebastián Piñera, who is poised to leave office in March, opposed the legislation for years. But just six months ago, the conservative leader indicated he'd changed his position on the issue paving the way for Congress to act. He is is expected to sign it into law.

"I think the time has come to guarantee that freedom and that dignity to all people," Piñera said in an annual speech to Congress on June 1.

"I think the time has come for marriage equality in our country," he added.

Existing laws allow gay couples to unite under a Civil Union Pact, which was approved in 2015 and gives couples many of the same rights as married but denies them the right to adopt.