With the votes of the senators present, the Senate Constitution Commission approved in general the project that regulates same-sex marriage of same-sex couples, so the initiative was in a position to be analyzed and voted by the Chamber of the upper chamber. Before the vote in general, the Commission heard the opinions of the director of the Christian Legislative Observatory, Marcela Aranda, and of the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (Movilh), Rolando Jiménez and lawyer Mónica Arias.

From the Movilh they called for progress in this initiative that entered the Senate under the administration of President Michelle Bachelet and recalled that it emerged as a Friendly Settlement Agreement that the State of Chile reached with the movement for a lawsuit filed before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. They stressed that this agreement is binding on the three powers of the State, so it is necessary to approve it. On the other hand, the Christian Legislative Observatory requested that during the legislative process various organizations and professionals be heard and were opposed to this initiative, pointing out that sexual difference is an element of the essence of marriage. In that sense, they propose to create a different institution with a different name.

FOUNDATIONS

Before voting the initiative in general, the president of the Commission, Senator Harboe, recalled that for the processing of this project the instance has received 13 guests, of which 4 have been civil organizations in favor and 3 who have been against . He affirmed that, with this project “we are ending a legal discrimination that circumscribes marriage only to people of different sexes. I believe in public and individual freedoms, I believe in the respect of a diverse society, I believe in the role of the legislator and institutions and the Senate is ending legal discrimination and opening more doors in this country. ”

Then, Senator De Urresti said that "the country with this law is a little more equal, more fair and includes Chileans who, regardless of their sexual condition, can contract the marriage contract." He added that "the same conservatives" who were previously against the divorce law, the civil union agreement and the termination of legitimate and illegitimate children, are those who discard this project.

Next, Congressman Huenchumilla said that “in democratic societies we are governed by the principle of tolerance. I am a Christian and a Catholic, but I am not representing my religion as a senator. One has to legislate for society as a whole. In an act of democratic tolerance in the times we live in the 21st century, I am in favor of legislating on this matter. ” Read more via Dairio Constitucional