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Mexico City Legalizes Gay Marriage

Latin American first gives gay couples new rights

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 22, 2009 1:20 AM CST | Updated Dec 22, 2009 5:13 AM CST

(Newser) – Mexico City is set to become the first Latin American capital to say "hola" to gay weddings after lawmakers there approved a bill yesterday giving gays full marriage rights, including the right to adopt. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Mayor Marcelo Ebrard. "We are putting an end to segregation and stigmatization of a sector of society," declared a legislator who voted for the measure. Activists burst into cheers and tears when the bill was passed.

The measure changes the city's legal definition of marriage from the union of a man and a woman to the "free uniting of two people," reports Reuters. Catholic leaders and conservatives are strongly opposed to the move, and are pressuring Ebrard to veto it. The lawmakers "have erased the term 'mother' and 'father' in one stroke of the pen," complained the president of the College of Catholic Attorneys.

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Gay rights activists celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage, at Mexico City's local assembly yesterday. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)

Gay rights activists celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in front of Mexico City's local assembly yesterday. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)

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For centuries unjust laws banned marriage between blacks and whites or Indians and Europeans. Today all barriers have disappeared. - Mexico City lawmaker Victor Romo

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 6 comments

jfcd

Dec 23, 2009 4:17 AM CST

As a person living in Mexico I must tell you, this is a huge advance. And even though the Catholic church has a huge inffluence on people, we are all nowgetting treated equally.

reasonator

Dec 23, 2009 2:57 AM CST

Government shouldn't recognize marriages of any kind. They should recognize individuals, not groups of individuals. Marriage should be a private affair, and the government should stay completely out of it.

NxBigmouthery

Dec 22, 2009 9:49 AM CST

So the arguments against continue to be no better than 'end of mother and father' or 'Adam & Eve no Adam and...' I can't even bring myself to finish the facile bullshit.

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World • Lifestyle

gay rights • Latin America • gay marriage • Mexico City • Mexico • civil union • Marcelo Ebrard • same-sex marriage

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Mexico City Legalizes Gay Marriage