Give it up Cons! Gay marriage is here to stay in Washington, D.C.

In a setback for traditional marriage advocates, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., struck down a challenge to the district’s same-sex marriage law. On the same day, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.

Yesterday, the court in D.C. ruled 5-4 against opponents of the 2009 law, which legalized same-sex marriage in Washington, D.C. Opponents had wanted to repeal the law, which took effect in March, by placing an initiative on the ballot asking city voters to define marriage as between one man and one woman. City officials opposed the attempted ballot measure, saying a district human rights law bars initiatives that would authorize discrimination.

Also on Thursday, Argentina’s senate approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Following a nearly 16-hour senate debate, lawmakers voted 33-27 in favor of the law around 4 a.m., with three abstaining.  The bill has already been approved in the house and as it has the support of President Cristina Fernandez, it will become law as soon the official bulletin is published.

The bulletin is expected within a matter of days.

The approval came despite a concerted campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups, which drew 60,000 people to march on Congress and urged parents in churches and schools to work against passage. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio led the campaign, saying “children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother.”

Same-sex couples from other countries will not be allowed to wed in the nation, because the law is only applicable to Argentine citizens.

The law will allow same-sex couples all of the legal rights and protections Argentine male-female couples have, including the adoption of children and inheritance of wealth.

While Argentina is the first country to legalize same-sex marriage, same-sex civil unions have been legal in Uruguay and certain states in Mexico and Brazil. Mexico City went further, legalizing gay marriage and launching tourism campaigns to encourage foreigners to wed there.

Homosexual activists in neighboring Chile also hope Argentina’s decision will improve chances for a gay marriage law currently in committee in their own Congress.