[Benjamin]

Congress in Uruguay has voted overwhelmingly to legalise gay marriage, becoming the second country in Latin America to do so, after Argentina.

The bill was approved by more than two-thirds of the lower chamber, despite opposition from the Catholic Church.

The proposal has already been backed by the upper house. It is expected to be signed into law within two weeks.

President Jose Mujica has been championing the bill.

A wave of reform seems to be sweeping through Uruguay.

Its Congress has started to debate the possible legalisation of cannabis, it passed a law to give women the right to opt for an abortion, and now it has allowed gay couples to marry.

Uruguay has become the second country in the Americas, after Argentina, to legalise same-sex marriages.

This has attracted criticism from some sectors, such as the Roman Catholic Church, which say that the law weakens the institution of marriage.

According to Ignacio Zuasnabar, director of the Uruguayan pollster Equipos: "There has been more acceptance of gay marriage in recent years as public opinion seems in favour of giving more rights to same-sex couples.

"Things are different with other divisive subjects, like the possible legalisation of cannabis and the recent law that approved abortions, which have more polarised views or simply a majority of people that disapprove of them," he told the BBC.

"Freedom, freedom," shouted activists who were attending the session in the Congress building in Montevideo as the result was announced.

"Same-sex couples have always existed," said Mr Mujica, a former left-wing guerrilla, in an television interview with Russia Today earlier this year.
Age of consent

The Marriage Equality Law was approved by the Senate last week by 23 votes to 8.

It allows same-sex couples to choose the order of the surnames of the children they adopt.

And it also increases the age of consent for sexual relations to 16, from the current 12 for women and 14 for men.

In recent years, Uruguay has moved to allow same-sex civil unions, adoption by gay couples, and to allow gay members of the armed forces.

Uruguay's neighbour Argentina legalised gay marriage in 2010. Same-sex marriages have been legal in Mexico City since 2009.

In May, Brazil's Supreme Court voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same-sex couples the same legal rights as married heterosexuals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22102740

[Shaun]

I do wonder what the world will look like in even ten years when it comes to this... so many nations are becoming more tolerant so quickly.

[Ryan57]

Good. I hope more countries follow suit.

[Z]

Good stuff. I think with each additional country that legalises gay marriage, it puts more pressure on the global community to follow suit for fear of being seen as backward. I think the real turning point would be if an Islamic nation legalised it. Probably never going to happen though.