And Argentina makes 10

Congratulations, Argentina!

Just past 4 a.m. Buenos Aires time on July 15th, 2010, the Argentine Senate voted to approve a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the country.  On July 22nd, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner signed the bill into law.

The new law grants same-sex couples the same rights and benefits as opposite-sex couples, including adoption and inheritance rights.  It makes Argentina the first South American nation to grant full marriage equality to all citizens; a true progressive step for the 91% Catholic country.  Argentina joins nine other countries around the world that currently have full marriage equality.

Next up for marriage equality: Luxembourg perhaps?  The government of this European nation announced July 15th that they are moving forward with crafting legislation to provide same-sex couples with marriage and adoption rights.  Luxembourg has had same-sex civil unions since 2004, but it looks like full marriage equality is on the way.

And the Finns may not be far behind.  The government of Finland is also calling for marriage equality.  Latest polls show that Finns overwhemingly support same-sex marriage, and Finland's Justice Minister Tuija Brax says that "it is essential that everyone be treated equally before the law, regardless of sexual orientation." 

Four of the five major parties in the Finnish legislature agree, and following the legislative cycle a new gender-neutral marriage bill could be voted on as early as 2011.  Finland has had a civil union law since 2001.