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Two gay men who have been a couple for 14 years have become the first to register to marry in Uruguay, hours after a law came into force allowing same-sex marriages in the country. snip Uruguay is the second South American nation to pass a gay-marriage law. snip Three years ago, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriages. Since then, Brazil's Supreme Court overwhelmingly voted in favour of granting same-sex couples the same legal rights as married heterosexuals, effectively authorising gay marriage. In Colombia, a judge recently ordered a notary to sign a document which...

Havana (CNN) -- The bride pulls up in a vintage American convertible and steps out in her frilly, rented gown. The crowds cheer as they throw rice in her direction. "It's the happiest day of my life," she gushes. But Wendy Iriepa is not your average bride. She is a male-to-female transsexual. Her groom, Ignacio Estrada, is a gay man who is a gay rights activist and outspoken dissident. They are calling this the first gay wedding in Communist Cuba. "It's a step forward for the gay community," Estrada told the throngs of foreign journalists and curious onlookers who crowded...

LOS ANGELES -- An immigration judge who previously denied a gay man's asylum bid on the grounds that he could conceal his sexual orientation if he returned to his native Mexico reversed the decision Tuesday. In allowing Jorge Sota Vega to remain in the United States, Judge John D. Taylor said that gays should not be required to dress or act a certain way to avoid persecution and that Vega's lawyers proved he would be at risk if he were deported to Mexico.

Mexico City's assembly on Thursday voted for the first time in the country's history to legally recognize gay civil unions, a measure that will provide same-sex couples with benefits similar to those of married couples. The mayor was expected to sign the measure into law. The bill, which does not approve gay marriage, allows same-sex couples to register their union with civil authorities, granting them inheritance and pension rights, as well as other social benefits. Lawmakers were still finalizing the details. Heterosexual couples who are not legally married can also be registered under the legislation. The bill was severely criticized...

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Almost 2 million gay men, lesbians, transvestites and their supporters - many in lavish Carnival costumes and waving rainbow-colored flags - paraded in Brazil's biggest city on Sunday to celebrate gay pride and call for the legalization of civil unions between homosexuals. More than 20 sound trucks blasting music, and carrying go-go boys and drag queens, rolled down the skyscraper-lined Avenida Paulista for the Ninth Annual Sao Paulo Gay Parade - a parade that organizers said was one of the world's largest gay pride events ever. Police and organizers said almost 2 million people, including...

Anti-homophobic TV ad brings problem to light Gay Mexicans are discriminated against openly in a macho country, activists say MEXICO CITY - "You look so in love, my darling," a mother tells her son in a radio commercial that has sparked a controversy here. "I can't wait for your partner to come to dinner. What is your partner's name again?" "Oscar, Mama," a male voice replies, revealing to the listener that his lover is another man.The commercial, which has been dubbed The dinner, is part of Mexico's first-ever national campaign against homophobia, which was recently launched by the Health Ministry's...

When the call came on his cell phone, Roberto Hernandez was driving to work in San Francisco. The caller, who identified himself as Juan, said in Spanish that he had met Hernandez at a gay bar and wanted to see him again. "Refresh my memory, there are so many Juans," said a puzzled Hernandez. The man described himself as slim with "a very nice butt." Eventually, the caller offered to give Hernandez his phone number -- then announced that the conversation was being broadcast live nationwide on the "Raul Brindis and Pepito Show," a Spanish-language morning radio program. "Why did...