Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010.
Argentina’s Congress approved the measure after a closely watched national debate. The Senate passed the bill on July 15, 2010, and the law took effect later that month. It changed the Civil Code so that marriage rights and responsibilities applied equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples, including adoption and inheritance rights.
The reform made Argentina the first country in Latin America, and the first in South America, to establish marriage equality nationwide. It followed earlier court decisions and local developments, including civil unions and individual marriages that had created legal momentum.
The milestone is sometimes confused with Uruguay, Brazil, or Mexico. Uruguay legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, Brazil’s recognition came through judicial and administrative decisions in 2013, and Mexico’s rollout began with Mexico City before becoming nationwide through later legal changes. Argentina’s 2010 law was national from the start.