Art In Uruguay May 2007—A monthly showcase of art about Uruguay or from an Uruguayan artist. This month both are true. Valerie Booth O. is our artist for May. VBO was born in Uruguay, left soon after and has returned after a half century elsewhere.

The first time I crossed the United States by car I thought I was in Uruguay while driving through Iowa. The terrain is “softly undulating,” as they teach in school here.

We're Not in Iowa Anymore

by Valerie Booth O.

I was 11 and my Grandmother and I were climbing onto a DC3 for the flight from Carrasco Airport to…

Under the new Civil Union law Adoption is possible only for opposite unmarried couples to adopt. Single persons in a same-sex civil unions do also have the right to adopt, yet as individuals. If you are looking for a country to adopt children you should know that the process in Uruguay is not an easy one. Two aspects that make it hard, even for married, stable and wealthy straight couples to accomplish their goal of parenthood.

Education at all levels is free, even to foreigners. You also have both public and private institutions. Remember that the language of instruction is Spanish and there are no exceptions of courses taught in a another language. This means that even when you are not required to sit for an extrance examination to most degrees, it is essential that you have a command of Spanish at proficient level.

Most urban places might have visually a gay ghetto. Nevertheless Montevideo being the biggest and most populated city of the country does not follow this trend.

One important aspect of the Uruguayan Constitution is to establish that any religion can be practised in the country no matter which, and the State declares itself as non confessional. The freedom of cult and secularity of State came into force by the begining of last century being a huge step foward religious freedom in a Latin country. Still not even Brazil, Argentina or any other latinamerican country are deemed to be secular.

(Montevideo) President Tabare Vazquez signed legislation Thursday making Uruguay the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex couples to enter civil unions. The law takes effect at the beginning of 2008.

The bill passed Congress earlier this month.

The law will allow same and opposite-sex couples to form civil unions. Couples must have been together for at least five years and sign a registry. They would then receive pension, inheritance and parenting rights.

The measure was a campaign promise of Vasquez's ruling leftist coalition.

Same-sex marriage will remain illegal in Uruguay, something LGBT rights groups say they will continue to fight. But, they say the civil union bill is a major step in the right direction in a region where the Catholic Church dominates much of everyday life.

The church fought the legislation from the onset and repeated a pledge Thursday that it will continue to fight any attempt to legalize same-sex marriage.

In neighboring Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul state which lies along the border, passed civil union legislation in 2004, two years after Buenos Aires passed a similar law. Civil unions also are legal in Mexico City and Coahuila state.

Earlier this year lawmakers in Colombia passed legislation giving same-sex couples most of the same rights as opposite-sex married couples and a week later killed it in a procedural move by conservative senators. (story)

by 365Gay.com

Tonight I attended one of my courses in the Faculty of Humanities. The class was about Ethics of Reasearch . So, eventually we came to tackle the question: how do we evaluate facts. The process of evaluation, and the traditional different models. But, first and foremost, how do we place ourselves in the evaluation process?

Uruguay's Congress has passed legislation to recognise same-sex civil unions.

The country of 3.6m people is the first nation in South America to grant such protections, although some cities and regions throughout the continent have made similar legal provisions.

The Congress passed legislation creating a civil union registry for same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples.

The measure had previously passed the Chamber of Senators.

The new law was a manifesto commitment of the ruling leftist coalition of President Tabare Vasquez.

In March the senior Roman Catholic clergy in the form of the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (CEP) echoed bishops in Europe by attacking the validity of gay relationships.

"In no way can homosexual cohabitation be accepted because it does not meet the basic criteria defining marriage, it is therefore unacceptable to place it in suchlike equal level," a statement from CEP said.

The main opposition party in Uruguay, Partido National, tried to remove gay and lesbian couples from the new bill during a March debate in the Chamber of Deputies but was unsuccessful.

Same-sex marriage will remain illegal in Uruguay, something LGBT rights groups say they will continue to fight.

Because of the marriage ban judges have been unsure how to rule in a number of cases involving same-sex couples, particularly in areas of adoption, pensions and inheritance.

Senator Margarita Percovich, the author of the legislation, said the bill would give couples entering civil unions the same rights as marriage.

Under the legislation couples would have be together for at least five years and sign a registry. The couples will receive heath benefits, inheritance, parenting and pension rights.

In neighbouring Brazil, the border state of Rio Grande do Sul passed civil union legislation in 2004, two years after the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, passed a similar law.

The decision to legally recognise gay couples in Uruguay makes the country the first in South America to have a national civil union law.

Fom: Pink News