Yucatán’s governor sends marriage equality bill to legislature

Yucatán’s first-ever gay marriage in 2013 after petitioning the court. Photo: File

Mérida, Yucatán — With time quickly running out on his administration, Gov. Rolando Zapato Bello quietly sent lawmakers a bill to establish marriage equality in Yucatán.

The bill could be approved before the current legislature concludes in fewer than 15 days, according to New Alliance (Panal) party members.

Earlier this week, a commission met behind closed doors to take the initiative to two committees.

After news of the session was leaked to the media, a congressional press office said that the bill modifies the Family Code and the Political Constitution of the state to allow for same-sex partners to wed.

According to the spokesperson, both documents were delivered some time ago, but only this week turned over to the respective commissions.

Consulted by telephone by a reporter at La Jornada Maya, Martín Chuc Pereira, general secretary of the LXI Legislature, refused to provide more information.

Details of the proposal — such as whether it addresses same-sex adoption — are unknown.

Same-sex marriage is lawful in Mexico City and in the states of Baja California, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla and Quintana Roo, as well as in certain municipalities in Querétaro.

Legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending in almost every other state.

Even without the law in place, same-sex couples can get married after petitioning the state. Courts in all states are required to approve marriage licenses for same-sex couples when petitioned to do so; individual same-sex marriages have occurred in every state.

From January 2017 to March 2017, 15 same-sex couples married in Yucatán, compared to 16 couples who married in all of 2016.

Sources: La Jornada Maya, Tribuna Campeche

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