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CENTRAL AMERICA |
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Gay
Marriage Ban Fails In El Salvador
San Salvador - Lawmakers have voted against
amendments that would have banned gay
marriage and prohibited adoption by gay men
and lesbians in El Salvador.
The San Salvador-based daily La Prensa
Grafica reported last week that neither
constitutional amendment was approved.
The amendments were introduced in 2006, and
the previous legislature approved the
measures in April 2009. But constitutional
amendments require the approval of two
consecutive legislatures.
The measures died after falling short of the
two-thirds majority required for passage.
The amendments failed with 46 lawmakers
voting in favor and 38 opposed.
Catholic leaders of Central America's
smallest nation strongly back the reforms,
going to far as to urge conservative
lawmakers to withhold the newly-elected
leftist government of Mauricio Funes their
support on crucial bills.
“If one party is refusing to vote and the
others are convinced (the measure) is for
the common good, the good of the nation,
they could oblige them by denying the
government party their votes, for example
loans or the national budget,” Jose Luis
Escobar, the Roman Catholic archbishop of
San Salvador, said during a press
conference.
Hundreds of gay marriage foes carrying signs
that read “Marriage is sacred, defend it”
marched through the streets of San Salvador,
the nation's capitol, last weekend.
Gay rights groups have asked the government
to recognize gay unions with civil unions,
not marriage. |
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