Wednesday, Jalisco legislators approved a landmark amendment to the state’s civil code defining marriage as a “union between two people,” instead of between a man and a woman.
The much anticipated move brings Jalisco law into line with the ruling made in June, 2015, by Mexico’s Supreme Court that struck down state laws discriminating against same-sex marriage.
Despite pressure from NGOs, Jalisco’s legislature dragged its feet in amending its laws accordingly, becoming the 27th of Mexico’s 32 states to officially recognize gay marriage.
Although civil authorities in Jalisco recognized the Supreme Court’s decision and began to issue marriage certificates to couples of the same gender, having to “haggle” over their rights in the absence of a legal framework was a “torturous process” for many applicants, noted legislator Maria Robles of the Hagamos Party, one of the main sponsors of the reforms.
The amendment to three articles of the civil code was passed with 24 votes in favor, eight against and three abstentions. The vote was done anonymously after some legislators expressed fears that they might be agressively targeted by extremists if their positions were made public.
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