Mexico City OKs gay marriage, adoptions
Mexico City lawmakers approved same sex marriage (AFP photo)
Mexico City lawmakers recently approved the same-sex marriage bill, making Mexico City the first in Latin America to legalize gay marriage.
The city assembly voted 39-20 in favor of the bill as the supporters cheered, “Yes, we could! Yes, we could!” Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party was expected to sign the measure into law.
The law will redefine marriage in the Mexico’s civil code as “the free uniting of two people.” In several largely Catholic country like the Mexico and Philippines, marriage is defined as the union of a man and a woman, thereby limited marriage to biologically male-female couples.
More than allowing homosexual partners to marry, the bill enables same-sex partners to adopt children and enjoy civil rights such as inheriting wealth, applying for subsidiary taxes and being recognized as beneficiaries in insurance policies of their partners.
While the Catholic Church made its stand and disappointment clear with the passage of the bill, for city lawmaker Victor Romo called it a historic day. ”For centuries unjust laws banned marriage between blacks and whites or Indians and Europeans. Today all barriers have disappeared,” he said.
According to Armando Martinez, the president of the College of Catholic Attorneys, the bill has “given the most bitter Christmas.” He said, ”They are permitting adoption (by gay couples) and in one stroke of the pen have erased the term ‘mother’ and ‘father.”‘
Currently, only eight countries across the world recognize same sex marriage, namely Belgium, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. In other countries like US, Argentina and Mexico, several states and cities have taken the first step towards allowing gay marriages, and many are hoping the rest of these countries will follow suit.
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