Chile took a historic step toward the full recognition of rights: President Michelle Bachelet signed the Equal Marriage Bill. She thanked the LGBTQ+ organizations for their participation and stated: “We know that for full equality, our State must take another step. Equality admits no nuances.” President Michelle Bachelet signed the Equal Marriage Bill this morning. She did so accompanied by members of her cabinet and LGBTQ+ organizations, whom she thanked. “Equality admits no nuances. It is not fair to place artificial limits on love. Today we are keeping our word to Chile and to the world,” said the president, referring to the journey to reach this point, where the participation of LGBTQ+ activists was crucial. The demand for #EqualMarriage had been a strong one at the Pride March in Santiago.

The story behind the #EqualMarriage bill

In January, the Chilean government pledged to send a bill legalizing same-sex marriage to Congress in the first half of this year. The President signed the agreement at a ceremony in La Moneda Palace. It was part of an “amicable solution” between the State and the Movement for Homosexual Liberation and Integration (Movilh).

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In 2010, Movilh sued the Chilean state for not recognizing the marriages of three same-sex couples. After overcoming several court rulings against these unions, Movilh appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The IACHR mediated between the parties, and in July 2016, the "Agreement for Equality" was signed. “"We are moving forward step by step, sometimes slower than we would like, but the destination is clear and our convictions are firm," the head of state said at the time.

[READ MORE: President Bachelet pledged to pass an Equal Marriage Law]

At today's signing, Bachelet thanked the organizations: “I appreciate the work done with MOVILH and all the organizations that have fought for the rights of sexual diversity,” she said. “This bill is the product of a participatory process involving multiple organizations in open dialogue. I thank MOVILH for its work within the framework of the friendly settlement before the IACHR. I thank the organizations Acción Gay, Iguales, MUM, Rompiendo el Silencio, among others.”

Celebrating the signing of the #equalmarriage law . Chile has changed. We're so happy. pic.twitter.com/LWgkAipsx1

— Movilh Chile (@Movilh) August 28, 2017

The changes that are coming

"We know that for full equality, our State must take a further step. Prejudice cannot be stronger than love. We do this to guarantee an essential act of justice: that those who wish to share their lives can do so with complete freedom, pride, and joy." The bill signed by the President of Chile proposes many changes, including modifying the definition of marriage in the Civil Code, replacing the section that refers to the union between a man and a woman, so that it is applicable to same-sex couples. This morning, the President explained the scope of the bill in her speech: "A child can be adopted by a heterosexual or same-sex couple without the need to modify the adoption law," she announced, and the entire room applauded enthusiastically. The bill also establishes the possibility of adopting a spouse's child. It eliminates homosexual conduct as grounds for divorce. And it removes the requirement of gender difference for validating a marriage performed abroad in Chile.

[READ MORE: [IN PHOTOS] The best images of the Pride March in Santiago, Chile ]

“We are recognizing equal rights when it comes to forming couples. Chilean men and women demand freedom to decide their relationships. The needs of the LGBTI community are not a separate issue,” she warned. The President also spoke about the bill recognizing gender identity, “currently in its second legislative stage,” and the recognition achieved for transgender children in the school setting. “This is about a vision of inclusion, respect, and love that we want to foster.” [caption id="attachment_4088" align="aligncenter" width="764"] Pride Santiago Chile[/caption] And she closed her speech by quoting Pedro Lemebel. «In 1986 Pedro Lemebel read to the crowd:I speak with my difference, I defend who I am, and I'm not that strange. I speak of tenderness. “That’s the kind of tenderness we’re talking about today, about forming a couple and getting married. About the right to be fully ourselves,” Bachelet said. “I trust that Congress will rise to the occasion. And it will recognize what Chile expects from its leaders: the capacity to extend equality,” the President said before signing the document. Archive photos: Josean Rivera  ]]>