Uruguayan senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a same-sex marriage measure Tuesday -- a key step that puts the South American nation on the path to becoming the 12th country to approve such a law . Senators approved the marriage equality bill 23-8 . Next week , lawmakers in the lower house , which approved a different version of the legislation late last year , are expected to vote on the senate 's version . If approved and signed by President Jose Mujica , who has indicated he supports the measure , the proposal would make Uruguay the second country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage . Neighboring Argentina legalized such marriages in 2010 . It 's an issue that 's sparked debate and impassioned demonstrations from supporters and opponents in many countries . Legislators in France and the United Kingdom are among lawmakers worldwide weighing proposals to legalize same-sex marriage . In the United States , the question of same-sex marriage went before the Supreme Court last week , and justices are now deliberating over the matter . The first same-sex couples walked down the aisle in the Netherlands in 2001 . Since then , almost a dozen countries have passed laws allowing same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships , including Canada , South Africa , Belgium and Spain . In Argentina , the push to legalize same-sex marriage met with fierce opposition from the Roman Catholic Church , with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio -- then the archbishop of Buenos Aires and now the pope -- engaging in a notorious war of words with the government over the issue . In Uruguay , the church has taken a similar tack , with officials describing the measure as a harsh blow to the institutions of marriage and the family . `` Why make relative or devalue an institution that is already so injured , like the family , introducing deep modifications that are going to confuse more than clarify ? '' the Rev . Pablo Galimberti , bishop of Salto , wrote in a recent post on the website of the Uruguayan Bishops Council . Uruguay 's Broad Front , a coalition of left-wing political parties , backs the measure . On Tuesday , the group 's president stressed that the proposed law change a civil institution and has nothing to do with the church . `` Here we are speaking about RIGHTS , with capital letters . Rights that were denied and repressed for a long time , and which a society that is trying to be modern and inclusive necessarily must recognize , to advance in equality , '' wrote Sen. Monica Xavier . `` Rights that are inherent to people , that are not a legislative creation , but something that the law must recognize . '' For years , it was rare to see gay rights issues gaining traction in Latin American countries . Not anymore , Javier Corrales , a professor of political science at Amherst College in Massachusetts , told CNN in 2010 . `` Latin America currently has some of the most gay-friendly cities in the developing world , '' said Corrales , who ranked cities ' gay-friendliness in a book he co-edited , `` The Politics of Sexuality in Latin America . '' In 2009 , Uruguay was the first Latin American country to allow same-sex couples to adopt children . It was also one the first Latin American countries to allow same-sex civil unions . The measure approved by Uruguayan senators Tuesday removes the words `` man '' and `` woman '' from the country 's civil code and replaces them with the word `` spouse , '' CNN affiliate Teledoce reported .
Measure must be voted on by the lower house , signed by Uruguay 's president . Catholic Church has fiercely opposed the proposal . Comment: If approved , Uruguay will become the second Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage .