Posted on 12/29/2009 1:14:17 PM PST by NYer
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — They had to travel to the ends of the Earth to do it, but two Argentine men succeeded in becoming Latin America's first same-sex married couple.
After their first attempt to wed earlier this month in Buenos Aires was thwarted, gay rights activists Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took their civil ceremony to the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, where sympathetic governor backed their bid to make Latin American history.
The couple exchanged rings Monday in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, closer to Antarctica than Buenos Aires. The informal ceremony was witnessed by state and federal officials.
"My knees didn't stop shaking," said Di Bello. "We are the first gay couple in Latin America to marry."
Di Bello, 41, an executive at the Argentine Red Cross, met Freyre, 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, at an HIV awareness conference. Both are HIV-positive.
At the indoor civil ceremony, the grooms wore sport coats without ties, and had large red ribbons draped around their necks in solidarity with other people living with HIV.
Argentina's Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to provincial and city officials. The men tried to get married in Argentina's capital but city officials, who had earlier said the ceremony could proceed, refused to wed them citing conflicting judicial rulings.
Di Bello said Ushuaia initially declined to authorize the marriage, but went ahead after the couple received backing from Tierra del Fuego province.
Gov. Fabiana Rios said in a statement that gay marriage "is an important advance in human rights and social inclusion and we are very happy that this has happened in our state."
An official representing the federal government's antidiscrimination agency, Claudio Morgado, attended the wedding and called the occasion "historic."
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Catholic Ping
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At the indoor civil ceremony, the grooms wore sport coats without ties, and had large red ribbons draped around their necks in solidarity with other people living with HIV.
There is a photo at the link ... I chose not to post it.
You may now kiss the bride, er, groom, er, er, ah ,ah, well, somebody please kiss somebody.
Those mean old Republicans won’t let them marry. < /sarc >
Oh wait, there are thousands of years of universally held customs and beliefs that are being challenge by a small activist cult.
Quesadilla queers.
Yeah, whatever. “Gay” “marriage” isn’t even news any more.
And Fox News absolutley, positively DID NOT need to show video of the “two grooms” KISSING during Fox and Friends this morning. That was completely uncalled for!
Not to mention very very oogie...
Oh, but those universally held customs and beliefs are small-minded, bigoted remants of the rule of the white man. Don’t you know?!?!
</s>
What?
Tha Catholic Church is OPPOSED to “gay” “marriage”?
I did not know that!
;-)
Never knew Tierra del Fuego was infested with moonbats.
Which one wore the dress?
Oh,Pancho! Oh,Cisco!
Nobody pushed ‘em off the end of the continent. Pity...
Colonel, USAFR
“I chose not to post it.”
Good thing you didn’t. I saw those two “gay caballeros” on TV news...PUKE!!!
I don't think Tierra Del Fuego is infested with "mariposas," however. These Gay Blades are doing it for the novelty.
Peron is spinning in his grave...
Unless things changed since I left, Tierra Del Fuego is a territory and it’s governor is appointed by the president rather than elected. Ushuaia is also the only city that still has a daily Welsh language newspaper. It is the main springboard for Antarctica and a Naval Base for the Armada..
I wonder if Barney Frank “winters” there?
I’d think High Anus Port would be his favorite getaway destination.
Well, High Anus Port is on the way to P-Town...
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