Santiago (TIP): Both houses of Chile’s congress voted December 7 to approve a marriage equality bill that also includes authorization for adoptions by same-sex couples.

The initiative was approved first by the Senate on a 21-8 vote, with three abstentions, and shortly afterward by the Chamber of Deputies with 82 votes in favor, 20 against and two abstentions. After the vote in the chamber, several deputies hugged, including some from opposing parties. The measure now goes to President Sebastián Piñera, who supported the bill, and will enter into force 90 days after its publication in the official gazette.

Senators initially approved the marriage equality measure July 21 and deputies did so Nov. 23, but modifications introduced by the deputies required a joint committee of both houses to resolve their differences. Among the changes agreed to Monday is the recognition in Chile of marriages of same-sex couples performed abroad and the definition of marriage as “a solemn contract between two people” rather than between a man and a woman. (AP)