Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Buenos Aires introduces partnership laws
A story released today by Comtex reports that the city council of Buenos Aires, Argentina, passed a civil-unions law by a vote of 29 to 10 last December 13, 2002.
Registered opposite-sex and same-sex couples will be treated like spouses "in the exercise of rights, obligations and benefits that emanate from the city," including in such areas as pensions, insurance, loans, visitation rights, sick leave, bereavement leave and relocation expenses.
"Buenos Aires has become the first city in Latin America to pass such a law and we hope it is only a first step," said city councilor Roque Bellomo.
On Dec. 17, the legislature of the Argentine province of Ro Negro passed a same-sex partnership law. It grants same-sex couples all the provincial rights that common-law opposite-sex couples have, except for access to marriage and adoption.
To register, a couple must present two witnesses who can prove the couple has lived together for at least two years.
