Mexico City is enacting Latin America's first law permitting same sex marriage.
Details of the new law to allow same sex couples to marry in the capital were published Tuesday in Mexico City's official register. Last week, legislators approved the measure, despite strong opposition from conservatives and the country's Roman Catholic Church.
The measure changes the definition of marriage from a union between a man and a woman, to the free union of two people. It also grants homosexual married couples rights such as the ability to adopt children, apply for loans and share insurance benefits. The legislation replaces a 2007 law allowing civil unions, and will take effect in March.
Publication of the law's details comes one day after two Argentine men married each other in Latin America's first legal same sex marriage. Though gay marriage is not specifically recognized under Argentine law, the two were given the right to marry by the governor of the state of Tierra del Fuego.
The HIV-positive couple had previously planned to marry in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, on December 1, World AIDS Day, but were stopped by city officials who cited conflicting judicial rulings regarding same sex marriage.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.