Uruguay moved to legalize gay marriage in a historic parliamentary vote late Tuesday, reported the Associated Press.
More from GlobalPost: Russian lawmaker goes after Lady Gaga on gay rights
The measure, which places heterosexuals and homosexuals under a single marriage law, will go before Senate for a predicted easy final vote, reported AP.
With the ruling coalition holding a majority the seats, it is expected to pass the Senate handily, making Uruguay the 12th country in the world and the second Latin American nation to legalize gay marriage, reported Australia's Star Online.
President Jose Mujica hopes to sign it into law within months, said AP.
The move sees Uruguary join The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina and Denmark, said StarOnline, with France, England, Wales and New Zealand set to join in 2013. The practice is also legal in nine US states.