A man holds the same “equality” sign in the plaza in front of the Congress building where the Deputies debated.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

A sign in front of Argentina’s Congress building reads, “I’m in favor of marriage for same-sex couples.”
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

Supporters wait for the Chamber of Deputies decision on the same-sex marriage bill on May 5, 2010. It was approved 125-109 at 2:25 am, after 12 hours of debate, and would be taken up for vote by the Senate two months later.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

The Catholic Church distributed literature at a massive anti-marriage protest it organized a few days before the Senate vote. This sheet states, “For the good of everyone, Marriage = Man + Woman.”
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

In response to the Church’s opposition, many Catholics stood in support of civil marriage for same-sex couples.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

“The same love, the same rights, with the same name(s)” was the slogan adopted by the Argentine LGBT Federation (FALGBT) and echoed by supporters from across the country.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

Same-sex marriage supporters began gathering outside of Congress in the afternoon of July 14. The 33-27 Senate approval was reached just after 4:00 the following morning, after 14 hours of debate.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

People came from all over Argentina to wait for the decision in bitter cold temperatures. All of the country’s 23 provinces were represented.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

In the Chamber of Deputies in May 2010, a rainbow sign distributed by FALGBT simply reads “Equality.”
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

On July 21, 2010, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner signed the Equal Marriage Law, making Argentina the tenth country in the world to allow same-sex marriage.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

María Rachid (left of woman waving), founder and then-president of FALGBT, holds a sign demanding “marriage now!” at the celebration of Argentina’s bicentennial in May 2010. Rachid has been credited with launching the campaign for equal marriage and was instrumental in garnering support for the law.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

Rachid also founded La Fulana, a feminist group for lesbians and bisexual women. In this photo, an activist wears a sticker reading, “I too am Natalia Gaitán.” 27-year-old Gaitán was murdered in March 2010 in the city of Córdoba because of her sexual orientation, and FALGBT and La Fulana have used the case to highlight the problem of lesbophobia in Argentina.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

The November 2010 LGBT Pride March was the first to take place in Buenos Aires after the legalization of same-sex marriage. People held signs saying “respect” and “visibility.” Casa Brandon (named for the transgender Brandon Teena, murdered in Nebraska in 1993), a queer cultural center in Buenos Aires, was also represented.
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

In the past year, LGBT activists have focused their efforts on securing a gender identity law, which would allow for transition procedures in addition to name and gender changes on official identification documents. This sign at the 2010 Pride March says, “Together We Can!”
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]

The gender identity law, which has consistently been blocked by Congress since 2007, has recently come up for debate again. In an effort to educate the public, FALGBT and ATTTA (Argentine Association of Transvestites, Transexuals, and Transgenders) have launched an informational campaign called “Identity: The Right to Be.”
- [Vero Capriglioni/Courtesy]