Roxana Ortiz and Virginia Gomez show their Civil Marriage document at the Registry Office in Santiago on Octubre 22, 2015.(AFP)
Gay couples kissed and danced in the streets of Chile's capital Santiago on Thursday as the South American country's civil union law recognizing same-sex couples took effect.
The law is seen as a first step toward allowing gay marriage in the conservative Catholic nation that only legalized divorce in 2004.
"Starting today, Chile is different Chile is for everyone," said a visibly moved Roxana Ortiz after a ceremony at the Civil Registry's Office formalizing her 11-year relationship with her partner, Virginia Gomez.
"The judge was there, told us our rights and our duties. We said 'Yes, I do,' cried a lot. It was super nice," echoed Gomez, her eyes glistening.
While their ceremony took place, gay couples waltzed outside the Civil Registry's Office to celebrate the success of a 12-year push to break down taboos and pave the way for a more inclusive society.
The new law enables unmarried heterosexual or homosexual couples living under the same roof to co-own property, receive inheritance and pension benefits, and make medical decisions.
And if a child's biological parent is no longer able to care for him or her, custody decisions will give priority to that parent's civil union partner, a provision demanded by gay rights organizations.
A turning point in the push for civil unions came in 2012 with approval of an anti-discrimination act in the wake of the murder of a gay man who was beaten to death in a park by a gang of neo-Nazis.