Uruguay Lower House and French Senate Vote for Gay Marriage

Now both legislative houses of Uruguay and France have voted to approve gay marriages in their respective countries.  Meanwhile, America waits for a U. S. Supreme Court ruling that may totally dodge the issue, leaving America falling further behind modern, advanced nations.   And underscoring the lie of America's claim to being the "land of liberty" and a land of "religious freedom."  Currently, only Christofascists have full religious freedom.  Moreover, they daily trample on the religious freedom of others.  Here are highlights from Gay Star News on the vote in Uruguay:

Uruguay’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, has made history today (10 April) when it voted to legalize gay marriage.  An overwhelming majority (71) voted for gay marriage out of the total 92 deputies in the lower house.  This means that Uruguay has effectively legalized marriage equality, as both chambers of the General Assembly, the upper house (Senate) and lower house have now voted for the bill by an overwhelming majority.

Uruguay’s government will implement the law in no more than 90 days, during which, according to deputy Jose Bayardi, some 'drafting errors' that occurred in the Senate will be corrected.

This will be followed by Uruguay’s president, Jose Mujica, signing it officially into law, which he already stated he would.

Uruguay’s approved bill states that ‘marriage is the permanent union between two persons of the same or opposite sex’.

The bill modified some 20 articles of the country’s civil code, including allowing parents - gay or straight - to decide whose surname comes first when naming their children.

The bill also did away with the words 'marido y mujer' (husband and woman) in marriage contracts, referring instead to the gender-neutral term 'contrayentes' (contracting parties).  The gay marriage bill likewise includes amendments on laws regarding in-vitro fertilization and adoption.

Meanwhile, in France, similar equality under the law advanced as well, bringing the number of nations with full gay marriage to on the verge of 13.  Here are details from Gay Star News on this story:

The French Senate has approved adoption for same-sex couples.  On the evening of 10 April, the second article of the ‘Marriage for All’ bill was adopted by the upper level of French parliament.

The vote came just one day after the Senate approved Article 1, the provision allowing gay couples to marry.

The Senate must now complete a review of the legislation in its entirety, although passage of both articles almost guarantees gay couples will soon be able to marry and adopt in France.

Once approved, the bill will go back to the National Assembly in late May for final approval. It will then go to the French President François Hollande to sign into law.

America's fraudulent claims about equality under the law and religious freedom for all citizens are becoming increasingly obvious.   Will the Supreme Court correct this situation or will Christofascists and their hate and fear based religious beliefs continue to trump the rights of others.  Only time will tell.