Chile married its first same-sex couple this week, three months after the country’s parliament voted to approve same-sex marriage.
Javier Silva and Jaime Nazar were married in a ceremony on Thursday, becoming the first two men to be married in Chile under the new law. The couple, who have two children together, have been together for seven years.
Speaking to reporters following the ceremony, Silva said that “Being the first couple to get married in Chile for us is an honor, something to be proud of,” adding, “We did it! It’s something we didn’t think could happen.”
Chile has recognized same-sex unions, with some legal rights, since 2015. Legislation to recognize same-sex marriage was first introduced in 2017, but remained in Parliament until December 2021, when it was finally approved by both the senate and the lower house.
President-elect Gabriel Boric, who assumes office on Friday, congratulated the couple on Twitter “for being the first couple to marry under the new #EqualMarriage law. To continue advancing for a Chile with equal rights and freedoms for all people,” Reuters reports.
The same-sex marriage bill had been signed into law by Boric’s predecessor, the conservative Sebastián Piñera, who had supported the legislation. With its passage, Chile became the 31 country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage.
What Do You Think?