Chile: Lower House Commission Supports Same-Sex Marriage

On Thursday, the Lower House's Constitutional Commission approved a bill that will legalize same-sex marriage in Chile.

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This bill seeks to grant equal legal recognition to all types of families by eliminating the legal dominance of "the marriage" defined as a union between a man and a woman. If this is achieved, homoparental couples could also adopt children.

“Thanks to this bill, we take a new step towards equality,” the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (MOVILH) Spokesperson Daniela Andrade said, adding that LGBTIQ+ couples have been deprived of their rights despite the commitments assumed by the Chilean State towards them.

In 2017, the Michelle Bachelet’s administration (2014-2018) introduced the Egalitarian Marriage bill, which had remained stalled in the Parliament until the Senate approved it on July by 28 votes in favor and 14 votes against.

Later, following the usual procedure in the Chilean political system, the bill went to the Lower House for the revision of its constitutional characteristics. Now, once approved by this commission, the bill will have to be debated in the plenary of the Lower House to become law.

Since 2015, the Civil Union Agreement (AUC) allows the legal bond between between non-heterosexual couples, protects their inheritance, and regulates the survivor’s pension in the event of the death of one of the two civil partners.

However, this agreement does not recognize the right of gay couples to marry nor allows homoparental adoption. So many of these couples annulled their legal union to adopt children as singles.

"The AUC was a fundamental but partial advance. Families are diverse. All of them deserve equal rights and respect,” Andrade stated and supported that procreation shall not be considered as an end to marriage since it does not fit the reality of all couples.