Nestor Kirchner, Argentina's former
president and a current national deputy, says he'll vote in favor of
a gay marriage bill.
After failing to gain sufficient
support to open debate on the bill last Wednesday, Argentina's
Chamber of Deputies (la Camara de Diputados) is expected to hold a
special session Wednesday to debate giving gay and lesbian couples
the right to marry.
Kirchner relinquished control of
Argentina in 2007 when he handed the reigns of power to his wife,
Christina Fernandez de Kirchner. He currently helms the powerful
Front for Victory Party (Frente Para la Victoria, FPV) and represents
the Buenos Aires Province in the country's lower chamber.
During the Radio 10 broadcast of the
program De Vuelta, Agustin Rossi, the head of the FPV in the
Chamber of Deputies, said: “Nestor Kirchner told me he's going to
vote in favor [of the gay marriage bill].”
“Gay marriage is a profound subject
and we must discuss it calmly and without political dispute,” he
added.
As lawmakers debate whether to legalize
gay marriage, gay couples continue to marry. Last week, two
men married in Buenos Aires, the fifth gay couple to do since
December.
Recognition of gay unions is gaining
ground in Latin America. Several Argentine cities, including its
largest city of Buenos Aires, have approved civil unions for gay
couples. In March, a gay marriage law took effect in Mexico City,
making it the first municipality in the region to approve such
unions. Uruguay recognizes gay and lesbian couples with civil
unions.
If approved, Argentina would become the
first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage.