Bogotá, Colombia, Jun 21, 2007 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Despite having been approved by the House of Representatives, the Colombian Senate definitively rejected a bill that would have granted financial rights to homosexual couples as part of a measure to make homosexual unions equal to marriage.

The bill, which would have granted inheritance rights and social security benefits to homosexual couples, failed during an attempt to reconcile the two versions of the bill.

The vote of 34-26 against the bill means it will not be sent to President Alvaro Uribe, who would have had the final word on whether or not to sign the bill into law.

Several leftwing senators decided to vote against the measure even though it was sponsored by a pro-homosexual activist, Senator Armando Benedetti.

The House of Representatives in Colombia approved its own bill on June 14.  However, the Senate version differed in some aspects, which provided pro-family Senators the chance to explain to the public why the bill should not be passed.

The measure was promoted by the organization “Diverse Colombia,” which has announced its mission is to achieve full recognition of gay marriage in Colombia.

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