Another Chilean update: Govt throws weight behind civil union law

In remarks this morning, Cecilia Pérez, the spokeswoman for the administration of Chilean President Sebastián Piñera announced that passing a civil union law would be among his top priorities for 2013. Pérez said,

As we did last year winning approval of the Anti-discrimination Law, we are convinced that the [Acuerdo de Vida en Pareja] is another significant step for Chile to continue advancing down the path of integration and equality in order to construct a more inclusive and respectful society.

Marriage key issue in Chilean presidential debate

Same-sex marriage emerged as a major dividing line between two potential presidential nominees of the Chilean Christian Democrat party in their first televised debate.

Claudio Orrego, who just finished his second term as mayor of the city of Peñalolén, said that he supported a civil union proposal currently under debate in the Chilean Congress. But he wants marriage to remain between a man and a woman. He said,

I have firmly supported the Acuerdo de Vida en Común, the anti-discrimination law, and I think and believe, like many Chileans, that marriage as an institution is between a man and a woman and this doesn’t seem to me to be arbitrary discrimination. I think it is part of the anthropology of life.

According to La Nación, Orrego’s opponent, Senator Ximena Rincón, responded that she opposes all discrimination and “if there is love” there is no reason not to allow same-sex couples to marry.

As I wrote in this post a few weeks ago, the debate over partnership rights is currently stalemated in the legislature. This election could have a huge impact on where it goes from here.