Argentina mulls granting gay marriage amid protest

The proposal, passed by Argentina's lower house in May, would also give homosexual couples the right to adopt children. It has triggered large protests and pitted Argentine President Cristina Fernandez against the influential Catholic Church a year ahead of a presidential election.

Senators were expected to vote on the bill in the early hours of Thursday. Fernandez, currently on a state visit to China, has said she supports the bill on human rights grounds and is expected to sign the bill into law if it clears the senate.

Tens of thousands of opponents, from children to elderly nuns, braved near-freezing temperatures for a second day to protest outside the Congress, where debate began in early afternoon and was expected to run well past midnight.

Opinion polls show a majority of Argentines support gay marriage but there is less backing for same-sex couples to adopt children.