Conservatives and other supporters of President Alvaro Uribe Vélez killed a gay civil-union bill in Colombia’s Senate Aug. 26.
They blocked both a vote and further debate on the measure which would have extended spousal rights to registered same-sex couples in areas such as job benefits, insurance, pensions, social security, alimony, inheritance, healthcare decisions and family violence. It also would have banned discrimination based on ‘sexual identity, gender or orientation.’
The vote to block was 55 to 32 with 15 abstentions.
Senator Piedad Córdoba, lead sponsor of the bill, plans to reintroduce it in a future session.
Three ex-presidents of Colombia spoke in support of the measure. Alfonso López Michelsen, Julio César Turbay and César Gaviria Trujillo, who now is secretary general of the Organization of American States, all lobbied for its passage.