Recognition of same-sex unions in South America

Debate has occurred throughout South America over proposals to legalize same-sex marriage as well as civil unions.

Currently 6 of the 12 sovereign countries in South America recognize some type of same-sex unions. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay and is also legal in the territories French Guiana and Falkland Islands. An additional two countries have a form of civil union or registered partnership, namely Chile and Ecuador. South America was the first continent to have a majority of its inhabitants living in a jurisdiction that afforded same-sex couples the right to marry.

Sex between women is legal in the entire region, while sex between men is illegal only in Guyana, not to be confused with French Guiana.

Chile On 10 December 2014, a group of senators from various parties joined LGBT rights group MOVILH in presenting a bill to allow same-sex marriage and adoption to Congress. On 17 February 2015, lawyers representing the Government and the LGBT rights group MOVILH met to discuss an amicable solution to the same-sex marriage lawsuit before the Inter-American Commission Of Human Rights. The Government announced that they would drop their opposition to same-sex marriage. A formal agreement will be signed in April and the case will still continue according to MOVILH's lawyer who stated that the lawsuit will live on until Chile enacts the law. On 1 July 2016, the Government announced that it would begin consultations on a same-sex marriage bill in September 2016, with the aim of finalising it by mid-2017. In June 2017, President Bachelet announced in a speech to Congress that her government would send a bill to the legislature in the second half of 2017 to allow same-sex marriage.

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