More than 50 foreign gay and lesbian
couples are waiting to marry in Argentina as the country loosens its
residency restrictions on gay couples.
On Thursday, Edgar Ayala of Peru and
Ralph Zakheim of the United States tied the knot in Argentina, the
first country to legalize such unions in Latin America in 2010. The
men, who have been together 5 years, married in Buenos Aires, which
is vying to become a destination for gay tourists.
“We are happy,” Ayala
told La Nation. “We love Argentina and we are eternally
grateful.”
Ayala works for a private chemistry
company in Peru, while Zakheim is employed by the state of
California.
“We travel a lot from one country to
another,” Ayala continued. “Argentina is the country that allows
us to legalize our love. We are going to fight for Peru to become
more egalitarian and more like Argentina.”
According to the nation's largest gay
rights group, the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals
and Trans (Federacion Argentina de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y
Trans), more than 50 gay couples are waiting for the opportunity to
wed in Argentina.
“We are happy and proud that more
couples can marry in our country,” said Esteban Paulon, the group's
president. “We have no doubt that the option to marry in Argentina
will be increasing day by day, consolidating our country as a more
egalitarian society and world.”