Despite becoming the first Latin American country to allow civil unions to same-sex couples in 2002, Argentina’s national law still restricts marriage to the union of a man and woman. Two men however have ignored a judicial order blocking their union to become the country’s first same-sex married couple.
Argentineans Jose Maria Di Bello (39) and Alex Freyre (41) met at an HIV awareness rally and their commitment to the cause lead them to make an even greater commitment to each other and to the gay marriage movement on December 1, 2009.
As in other countries, the couple first had to go through the courts before they could walk down the aisle at the registry office.
In their first court case, the judge ordered that they had been unconstitutionally denied the right to marry, and were permitted the right to a marriage licence in Buenos Aires. However, days before their wedding another court attempted to block the initial ruling and prevent their union.
In order to ensure their plans were not interrupted, they travelled to the gay friendly state of Tierra del Fuego at the southern-most tip of Argentina. Here a pro-gay governor supported their plight and welcomed the event.
The wedding went off without a hitch, with both grooms wearing crisp white shirts and torso length red ribbons, honouring both their union and World AIDS Day. Freyre joyously told The Buenos Aires Herald: ‘As a couple, we have been dreaming with getting married for a long time’.
July 2003 saw Argentina’s first same sex civil union, one of the first countries in the rapid rise of civil partnerships throughout the world. This was seemingly unprecedented, given the country’s firm Catholic roots.
With these unions come many legal benefits, such as access to health care and superannuation. However neither unions nor marriages grant lesbian and gay couples complete equality with heterosexual couples, with rights such as adoption still lagging behind.
Given that there are still challenges pending, the legality of Bello and Freyre’s marriage and Argentina’s commitment to same sex marriage will be tested over the coming year. Since their wedding, at least six other gay and lesbian couples have launched campaigns to marry in Argentina.
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