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Argentina has become the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage. The move grants homosexual couples all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage gives heterosexual couples. President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter and the new law is expected to bring a wave of marriages. The approval came despite a concerted campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups, which drew 60,000 people to march on Congress and urged parents in churches and schools to work against passage. Nine homosexual couples have already married in Argentina after persuading judges that Argentinas constitutional mandate of equality supports their marriage rights, but some of these marriages were later declared invalid. The debate stretched on for nearly 16 hours. Marriage between a man and a woman has existed for centuries, and is essential for the perpetuation of the species, insisted Senator Juan Perez Alsina, who is usually a loyal supporter of the president but gave a passionate speech against legalizing same-sex marriage. However, Senator Norma Morandini, another member of the presidents party, compared the discrimination closeted gays face to the oppression imposed by Argentinas dictators decades ago. What defines us is our humanity, and what runs against humanity is intolerance. Same-sex civil unions have been legalized in Uruguay, Buenos Aires and some states in Mexico and Brazil. But Argentina now becomes the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. Homosexual couples who marry will now get many more rights than civil unions, including adopting children and inheriting wealth. (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.) 点击查看更多双语新闻 (Agencies) 阿根廷于日前（通过一项承认同性婚姻的法案），由此成为拉美首个同性婚姻合法化的国家。 该法案赋予同性伴侣与异性伴侣在婚姻方面同等的法律权利、应承担的责任和可受到的保护。 阿根廷总统克里斯蒂娜?费尔南德斯是同性婚姻合法化法案的坚定支持者。该法案的推出预计会在阿根廷国内掀起一股同性恋结婚潮。 该法案遭到了阿根廷罗马天主教会和基督教福音派组织的强烈抗议，他们共召集了六万名民众前往议会游行，并呼吁教会和学生家长反对该法案的通过。 阿根廷迄今已有九对同性伴侣步