After a 14 hour debate, the Senate voted in favor:

The law, which also allows same-sex couples to adopt, had met with fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and other religious groups.

The legislation, backed by President Cristina Fernandez’s centre-left government, passed by 33 votes to 27 with three abstentions.

David Mixner credits Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner:

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina powerfully and eloquently came out for marriage equality in Argentina… Seems to me that it would be much tougher for President Kirchner politically in heavily Catholic Argentina than for President Obama in the United States. The Argentina President pulls no punches. She deals with all aspects of the issue publicly and talks to her people why it is necessary. This is a must-watch video… I would strongly urge our organizations in Washington to make sure people in the White House see this video

The president’s remarks came in response to language used in Catholic Church efforts to oppose the measure. During Sunday Mass church officials read a message from Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio urging the faithful to protest. On Friday, Bergoglio issued a statement calling Same-sex marriage a machination of the devil. Ninety-one percent of the population of Argentina identifies as Catholic.

Same-sex civil unions are legal in Brazil, Buenos Aires, Uruguay and some Mexican states. Mexico City legalized gay marriage last year. Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled same-sex couples have inheritance and insurance rights.

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