Paraguay Next To Consider Gay Marriage?

It seems that the tide of equality may sweep South America before the USA joins the 21st century, accepts modern scientific knowledge on sexual orientation, and forces religious based anti-gay bigotry out of the nation's civil laws. With Argentina having just approved same sex civil marriage, Paraguay, is moving to bring up passage of same sex marriage in that country. Meanwhile, Uruguay, Argentina's neighbor just across the Río de la Plata is already progressive and has civil union laws already in place - P.S. and is gorgeous to boot (see the photo above). Not surprisingly, the gay-hating and woman-hating Catholic Church has announced that it will oppose the contemplated legislation. Equally embarrassing to the USA is the fact that Chile is moving to consider a civil unions law. Unfortunately, the knuckle draggers continue to hold sway in far too much of the USA - Virginia being one such backwater. The irony is that both Paraguay and Uruguay are little known to most in the USA - which falsely holds itself up as a beacon of freedom - and I suspect many Christianists and self-anointed Uber-American patriots could not locate either country on a map), Here are highlights from On Top Magazine on the developments in Paraguay:
*
Gay activists in Paraguay say they'll legalize gay marriage next.
*
The gay rights group SOMOSGAY (we are gay) tweeted celebratory messages Thursday to Argentina for becoming the first nation in Latin America to legalize gay marriage, and then went on to say they'll lobby for passage of a gay marriage bill in October.
*
Moved by its neighbor's decision, Paraguayan lawmakers Thursday appeared on television to discuss gay marriage. Senator Alfredo Jaeggli said he favored the institution in an appearance on Asuncion-based television Paravision.
*
The Roman Catholic Church, to which 89% of the population claims allegiance, has already announced they'll campaign against the law. “We are going to put out an intense educational campaign on Christian values, to avoid the law of marriage between people of the same sex that was approved in Argentina from coming to Paraguay,” Bishop Adalberto Martinez of San Pedro told La Nacion.
*
The Catholic Church would seem better served weeding out sexual predator priests and honestly dealing with sex abuse victims as opposed to intruding into the civil laws - in Paraguay and everywhere else in the world.