Argentina: Support Civil Unions in Santa Fe Province
07/09/2003
SUMMARY
On June 18, 2003 the LGBT local organization Vox and MPs Mónica Barroso Bonvicini and Susana Igarzábal submitted a proposal to the Santa Fe Province Legislature (No. 1161/03) to extend legal recognition to same-sex and also to opposite-sex non-married couples. The Bill extends to those couples rights in areas like access to health care, pensions, housing, social benefits and conjugal prison visits. Similar proposals have already been passed in Buenos Aires city and the Rio Negro province.
ACTION
Local activists are asking for support letters that will be attached to the submission and that will help in putting pressure on the Santa Fe Legislature to debate and pass the Bill.
Please send your support letters Today to:
- Dra. Monica Barroso Bonvicini
- twiste2903@yahoo.com
And please send copies to VOX at
magnus@arnet.com.ar
You will find below a Model Letter in Spanish and its translation into English. In order to make communication with local MPs easier, we suggest you send the following letter in Spanish.
MODEL LETTER: Spanish version
Honorables señoras legisladoras y señores legisladores de la Provincia de Santa Fe:
Les escribimos para manifestar nuestro apoyo al Expediente 1161/03, presentado por las diputadas Mónica Barroso Bonvicini y Susana Igarzábal, que busca crear la figura de la Unión Civil.
De aprobarse ese proyecto, se lograría remediar la situación de desigualdad ante la ley que hoy en día viven las parejas formadas por personas del mismo sexo en la Provincia (y también las parejas de sexos diferentes que conviven sin haber contraído matrimonio), y que vulnera principios constitucionales así como aquellos consagrados por tratados internacionales ratificados por Argentina, como el Pacto Internacional sobre Derechos Civiles y Políticos y el Pacto Internacional sobre Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales.
La gravísima situación socioeconómica que atraviesa Argentina hace más necesario que nunca el corregir toda desigualdad que afecte el acceso de sus habitantes a la vivienda, las prestaciones sociales, las pensiones y otros beneficios que otorga el Estado como parte de su obligación de garantizar "un orden social … en el que los derechos y libertades … se hagan plenamente efectivos" (Artículo 28, Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos).
Con la aprobación de esta ley, la provincia se sumará a una tendencia creciente en el mundo, ya que en la actualidad 18 países otorgan todos o algunos de los derechos matrimoniales a las parejas del mismo sexo (Alemania, Australia, Austria, Bélgica, Canadá, Dinamarca, España, Finlandia, Francia, Hungría, Islandia, Noruega, Nueva Zelandia, Países Bajos, Portugal, Reino Unido, Sud Africa y Suecia). A nivel provincial, 4 estados australianos, 9 canadienses, 4 españoles, 5 de los EEUU y 1 suizo, también reconocen a estas parejas. Y recientemente la ciudad de Buenos Aires y la provincia de Río Negro se han sumado a esta lista con proyectos de ley similares al que ahora se ha presentado a consideración de ustedes. No escapará a vuestra atención que en casi todos los casos se trata de los países con mayores índices de desarrollo humano y de equidad de género. El reconocimiento de la diversidad de formas de convivencia que en toda comunidad existen parece ir de la mano con la construcción de sociedades en las que todas y todos puedan vivir de manera más humana y justa.
Confiamos en que ustedes dedicarán a este proyecto toda la atención que merece.
Cordialmente,
(nombre, organización y dirección)
English translation
Honorable members of the Buenos Aires Province Legislature:
We are writing to express our support to Expediente 1661/03, submitted by MPs Ms. Mónica Barroso Bonvicini and Susana Igarzábal, which allows for the legal establishment of Civil Unions.
If the proposal is passed, it will remedy the situation of inequality before the law under which same-sex couples (and also opposite-sex unmarried couples) currently live in Santa Fe Province. Such a situation violates constitutional principles, as well as those consecrated by international treaties ratified by Argentina such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The extreme socioeconomic climate in Argentina makes it more urgent than ever to amend any inequality affecting Argentineans in terms of access to housing, social benefits, pensions and other benefits granted by the State, as part of its obligation to provide "a social order … in which rights and freedoms… can be fully realized" (Article 28 of the Universal Human Rights Declaration)
With the passage of this law, the Province will join the growing ranks of countries around the world--currently 18--that grant all or some conjugal rights to same sex couples (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). At the state level, in addition, four states in Australia, nine in Canada, four in Spain, one in Switzerland and five in the USA grant some recognition to same-sex couples. Recently, Buenos Aires city and Rio Negro province have joined the list by passing proposals similar to the one that has been now submitted for your consideration. You cannot fail to notice that, in almost all cases, those countries where these rights are recognized also tend to earn the highest scores in terms of human development and gender equity. Recognition of the different forms of living arrangements that exist in every community would seem to go hand-in-hand with the building of societies in which all can live in a more human and fair way.
We trust you will devote to this proposal the attention it merits.
Sincerely,
(Your name, organization and address)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In their presentation before the legislature, the bill’s authors stated that “stable unions entered into by same sex couples that live together conjugally constitute a new social category that cannot be discriminated against or marginalized on the basis of prejudice, by a State that thinks itself as democratic, plural and respectful of human dignity”.
They further added, “Law must play an active and humanitarian role in society, contributing to social development and the transformation of social structures in order to satisfy the needs of the people… When society is full of prejudice and wrong assumptions, if the State discriminates by omission, it is violating the intrinsic dignity of those who are expelled from the system due to prejudice”
Moreover, the authors argue, “the lack of explicit recognition for stable unions, both in the case of same-sex and opposite-sex couples, violates the rights to freedom, equality, free determination in regard to co-habitation styles, sexual orientation, and privacy, of those involved”.
As evidence of the belief of the fundamental dignity of all people, and the obligation of the State to respect this dignity through equal access and application of the law, the Bill starts with an anti-discriminatory clause. Article 1 states that, in the Santa Fe province, “nobody can be discriminated on the basis of the family group she/he is part of, be it based on filiation, marriage or de-facto union entered into by two persons who are of legal age and live together in a stable and affectionate union, regardless of their sex or sexual orientation”.
Article 2 defines “stable union” in the same way as Article 1 did. Requisites for a “stable union” to be legally recognized by the Santa Fe province include: that the couple has lived together for a year (unless they have had children together) and that both have had their legal address in the Santa Fe province for at least two years before applying for recognition. The couple must submit witnesses (a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5) and any documentary evidence that supports the claim that they have indeed lived together as a couple for at least a year.
Registered “stable unions” will have rights to pensions, sick and/or bereavement leave, housing, health, social benefits and plans and conjugal visits in prison.
Those who are under 18 years old, related by blood or adoption, married or in a legally recognized “stable union” with someone else, cannot register their union.
Stable unions can be dissolved by mutual agreement, the will of one of the partners, the death of one of the partners and also if one of the partners marries someone else. If one of the partners wishes to end the union, she/he must submit 2-5 witnesses to prove that the couple has not lived together for more than six months, and documentary evidence to account for her/his having notified the other partner of her/his decision (i.e. a letter).
INTERNATIONAL LAW
Right to non-discrimination and to equality before the law: Article 2 and 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rightscite>; Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Article 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Article 1 and 24 of the Interamerican Human Rights Convention as well as Article 16 of the Argentinean Constitution,.
Right to social security: Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of oneself and of one's family: Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 11/12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Right to form a family: Article 16 of the UDHR, Article 23 of the ICCPR and Article 17 of the IAHRC.
Right to the protection of the family: Article 16 of the UDHR, Article 10 of the ICESCR, Article 23 of the ICCPR, Article 17 of the IAHRC, as well as Article 14 of the Argentinean Constitution and Article 36 of the Buenos Aires Province Constitution.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee affirmed in its decision in Toonen v Australia (1994) that existing protections against discrimination in Articles 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) should be understood to include sexual orientation as a protected status. Numerous other human rights mechanisms of the United Nations have subsequently condemned discrimination based on sexual orientation. The UN Committee on Economic and Social Rights has made a similar observation, in its General Comment 14 on the right to health- to be applied to all economic, social and cultural rights.
The Santa Fe Province Constitution in its Article 8 states “All the Province inhabitants are equal before the law. It is the duty of the State to remove every economic and social obstacle that, by limiting individual freedom and equality, impede the community’s free development at political, economical and social level”. Also, the most populated and important city in the Province –Rosario- has an Ordinance that “recognizes and guarantees the right to be different, forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation” (Ordinance 6321, December 19, 1996).
Argentina ratified the ICCPR and the ICESCR in 1986, and the IAHRC in 1984. The UDHR is considered part of customary international law, and binding on all member States of the United Nations, like Argentina. Also, the Argentinean Constitution in its Article 75.22/23 recognizes the prevalence of international treaties over national and local legislation.
ABOUT IGLHRC
The mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is to secure the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status. A US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), IGLHRC effects this mission through advocacy, documentation, coalition building, public education, and technical assistance.
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