From guardian.co.uk:Argentina's senate passed a same-sex marriage bill today, clearing the way for the country to become the first in South America to allow gay couples to marry and adopt children.
Following more than 14 hours of charged debate,the upper house voted 33-27 for the proposal.
Argentina's female president, Cristina Fernández, supports same-sex marriage on human rights grounds and is expected to sign the bill into law after her return from a state visit to China.
Not everyone was in support though... tens of thousands of opponents, from children to elderly nuns, braved near-freezing temperatures to protest outside the congress since Tuesday, causing traffic jams in Buenos Aires.
However, opinion polls show a majority of Argentines support same-sex marriage, but there is less backing for same-sex couples to adopt children.
Same-sex marriage currently is legal in Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Argentina. In the US, same-sex couples can marry in five states and in the capital, Washington.
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