Colombia Rules Gay Couples Must Be Granted Same Rights as Straight

In a historic
decision handed down Wednesday, Colombia's Constitutional
Court ruled same-sex couples must be granted the same rights
as heterosexuals in common-law marriages.

The court's
decision means Colombia's gay couples will be awarded dozens
of rights that straight, unmarried couples have enjoyed for
years and follows other recent rulings that have won
the nation's same-sex couples inheritance,
pension, health, and social security rights.

The Colombian
LGBT rights group Colombia Diversa, human rights group
Dejusticia, and the Group for Public Interest Rights from
the University of the Andes were responsible for the
successful suit, filed last April.

Uruguay is the
only other Latin American country to recognize same-sex
unions. (Neal Broverman, Advocate.com)