On Dec. 21, the Mexico City assembly passed a law granting same-sex couples the right to marriage. The law redefines marriage from heterosexual-specific to “the free uniting of two people.” The bill, which passed with a 39-20 vote, also authorizes same-sex couples to adopt children.
The victory is part of a recent intensification of the struggle for LGBT rights throughout Latin America, which is intimately connected with the regional Bolivarian movement. Earlier this year, Rio Cuarto became the fourth jurisdiction in Argentina to legalize same-sex unions and Uruguay began allowing transsexuals to change their name and gender on all official documentation.
This progress has been met with a strong backlash from reactionary elements. After the ruling, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church immediately initiated a homophobic campaign to promote hatred. Church cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera stated that the law is immoral and that the lives of “innocent children” are at stake in the decision.
