Chilean President Introduces Civil Union Bill

As many parts of the USA continue to slide into backwardness and place allegiance to religious extremism ahead of modernity and progress (yes, Virginia one such area), the countries in South America continue to demonstrate that they understand the meaning of religious freedom and equality under the civil laws for all citizens than does the USA which increasingly is a false beacon of the values it claims to uphold but in reality mocks. Now Chile is moving towards civil unions and most surprisingly, the bill in question was introduced by the nation's conservative president, Sebastian Pinera (pictured at left). AFP and Google News have details. Here are highlights:

Chile's conservative president proposed legislation Tuesday to recognize gay civil unions, granting them some of the same rights as married couples in the ultra-Catholic country.

"All forms of marriage deserve respect, dignity and the support of the state," said President Sebastian Pinera, who signed the proposal and sent it to Congress.

"This puts opposite-sex and same-sex couples on the same footing, because in both cases it is possible to develop love, affection and respect."

Pinera, who brought conservatives to power after 20 years of center-left rule in the country, grated on his own election campaign when he announced his intention to legalize civil unions for gay couples. He said two million people in Chile live together without marrying.

It will be a notable turn in Chile, where 80 percent of the country is Catholic and the government did not recognize divorce until 2004.