México’s Supreme Court ruled that that a provision in the Baja California Constitution limiting marriage to heterosexual couples is unconstitutional.
The court stated, “Excluding couples of the same sex goes against the right of persons to self-determination and for every individual’s personality to develop freely.” The court’s opinion went on to say, “In addition, it implicitly creates a violation to the principle of equality, because it gives a different treatment to homosexual couples with respect to heterosexual couples.”
Alex Ali Méndez Díaz, coordinator of Matrimonio Igualitario México, a group that promotes same-sex marriage, said “I think that with this we are showing that this must be the reality in our country.”
The court’s ruling does not overturn the state ban, Méndez said. Other same-sex couples who seek to marry in Baja California would have to go through similar appeals if turned down for licenses.
Other states in which courts have upheld same-sex marriages include the states of Oaxaca, Colima, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Tabasco, Chiapas, México state, and Querétaro.
(from U-T San Diego)
