[1]
The Brazil Supreme Court [2] granted gay couples the same rights as their straight peers. While the ruling shies away from marriage, civil partnerships will have the same rights when it comes to pension and inheritance. All the rights of marriage, minus the word.
"The freedom to pursue one's own sexuality is part of an individual's freedom of expression," said Justice Carlos Ayres Britto, the writer of the opinion.
The vote was 10-0. One justice abstained due to previous statements in favor of same sex civil unions.� A few here in the States will argue this ruling is nothing but separate and equal. Advocates in Brazil are having none of that.
"There is something to celebrate this result,"� said Cleber Vicente [3], project coordinator for the Rainbow Group in Rio de Janeiro (as reported by the country's state run the state-run Agencia Brasil). "It is a struggle that stretches for over 15 years."
This decision makes Brazil and Argentina as the two South American countries to recognize gay relationships. [UPDATE: As Jay reminded in the comments, Uruguay [4]�passed civil union legislation in December of 2007]
The separate but equal debate is worth having, but this decision is all success. Sure the word marriage is missing, but please consider this: a country, with an extremely large Roman Catholic population, just gave legal recognition/rights to gay families. If this isn't a win, then the word is meaningless.
[1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/News-Brazil-flag-top.jpg
[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13304442
[3] http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/05/05/brazil.same.sex.unions/
[4] http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/12/19/us-uruguay-gay-idUSN1854039020071219
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