Jalisco took a step toward sexual orientation equality late Thursday, when the State Congress approved the Ley de Libre Convivencia with 20 votes in favor, 15 against and one abstention.
While falling short of legalizing gay marriage or adoption, the new law permits same-sex couples to enter a legal contract enhancing their inheritance rights and eligibility for social security benefits.
The legislation was backed by the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), while the right-wing Nation Action Party (PAN) and the Citizens Movement opposed the bill.
Conservative groups opposed to the bill criticized legislators Thursday and called on Governor Aristoteles Sandoval to veto the law and demanded a public referendum on the issue.
Although the local LGBT community was not entirely happy with the somewhat limited legislation, its passage is still a considerable achievement given that Jalisco is one of Mexico’s most conservative states and local Catholic groups had lobbied hard against the bill, concerned that it would lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption.