Argentinian judge permits gay couple to marry
A gay couple in Argentina have been given permission to marry by a judge.
Alex Freyre and Jose Maria Di Bello were granted the right by Judge Gabriela Seijas in Buenos Aires.
The city became the first in Argentina to allow civil unions in 2002 but gay rights campaigners say same-sex marriage should be legalised.
The couple have said that the decision will make them the first gay couple in Latin America to have the right to wed.
According to Reuters, Seijas’ ruling said: “The law should treat everyone with the same respect according to their singularities, without the need to understand or regulate them.”
Her decision can still be overturned by city authorities.
Only a few areas of Argentina recognise civil unions between same-sex couples: Buenos Aires itself, the province of Río Negro in Patagonia, and the city of Villa Carlos Paz in Córdoba province.
Since the 2002 decision to allow civil unions, Buenos Aires has become one of the hotspots on the international gay-friendly tourist circuit, going head-to-head with Rio de Janeiro.
