Same-sex marriage in Zacatecas

Same-sex marriage legalization is not universal in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. Five municipalities issue same-sex marriage licenses, comprising 28% of the state population (40% if suburbs of Zacatecas City are counted).[1][2] A bill seeking to legalize same-sex marriage statewide failed in the Congress of Zacatecas on 14 August 2019.

History

Same-sex unions performed in Mexican states

  Same-sex marriages performed.*
Stripes: Proportion of municipal coverage.

  Civil unions performed; marriage by amparo only.

  Marriage not performed (except by amparo) despite Supreme Court order.

  Marriage accessible by amparo or by traveling out of state.

*Legislation is not equal in all states. See details.

Civil unions

A proposal for civil unions was submitted to the Congress of Zacatecas on 30 June 2011, but then stalled in the Commission on Public Security. The main sponsor of the bill said in 2013 that it was not prioritized.[3] It only gathered the support of one PRI MP, some independents and some PRD MPs, while it was rejected by PAN. It was again discussed in March 2014, but the majority did not approve the measure.[4]

Marriage

As a reaction to the 2015 Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation's ruling on same-sex marriage (in which it ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional), a member of PRD announced on 18 June 2015 that she would submit a bill to reform the state's Civil and Family codes to give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples. A spokeswoman for PAN immediately announced their resistance, claiming that the Supreme Court had erred in its ruling.[5] The bill was still pending in the Commission of Gender Equality of Congress by November 2017.[6]

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning a plurality of legislative seats in Zacatecas.[7] In late February 2019, a member of MORENA sponsored a new same-sex marriage bill,[8][9] of which she was hopeful the majority of Congress would agree on. Additionally, she labelled the current definition of marriage a violation of the constitutions of both Mexico and Zacatecas.[10] The National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) also called on the state to legalize same-sex marriage.[11] On 14 August 2019, the state Congress rejected the bill to legalize same-sex marriage, in a 11-13 vote with 2 abstentions.[12]

On 14 February 2019, the capital city of Zacatecas announced it would begin issuing same-sex marriage certificates.[13][14] Governor Alejandro Tello Cristerna argued that the marriages were not valid and expressed his personal opposition to same-sex marriage, stating that authorities have to be "careful dealing with the topic".[15] He was joined by Bishop Sigifredo Noriega in his opposition, who nevertheless considered it necessary finding an alternative measure protecting same-sex couples without the "destruction of marriage".[16] Despite this, the first couple married on 23 February.[17] By 27 February, another couple had married, and five further couples had submitted marriage applications.[18] The municipality of Cuauhtémoc followed suit in legalizing same-sex marriage on 1 March,[19] and Villanueva on 20 May 2019.[20] By July 2020, Miguel Auza and Fresnillo were as well.[21][22]

Injunctions

Several same-sex couples have been allowed to legally marry in individual cases, through a process called recurso de amparo. Amparos are commonly known as "injunctions" in English.

The first injunction filed by a same-sex couple in the state was approved in May 2016.[23] On 3 April 2017, a female same-sex couple from Fresnillo gained an amparo allowing them to marry,[24] while another was granted to a male couple from the same city a few months later. They married in October 2017, in a private ceremony alongside family and friends.[25]

By January 2019, three same-sex couples had married via injunction in the municipality of Zacatecas.[26]

Public opinion

A 2017 opinion poll conducted by Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica found that 46% of Zacatecas residents supported same-sex marriage. 49% were opposed.[27]

According to a 2018 survey by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), 37% of the Zacatecas public opposed same-sex marriage.[28]

See also

• LGBT rights in Mexico
• Same-sex marriage in Mexico

References

1. "Aprueban matrimonio igualitario en Zacatecas". Periódico Mirador (in Spanish). 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
3. "En la congeladora, desde 2011, iniciativa de Ley de Sociedades de Convivencia: Jorge Alvarez". Noticias de Zacatecas - La Jornada Zacatecas (in Spanish).
4. "Rehúyen diputados tema de matrimonio gay". NTR Zacatecas .com (in Spanish).
5. "Promoverá PRD reformas a códigos Civil y de lo familiar". NTR Zacatecas .com (in Spanish).
6. (in Spanish) Analizará Legislatura matrimonio igualitario este martes
7. (in Spanish) Poder Legislativo del Estado de Zacatecas - LXIII Legislatura
8. "Presentan diputados iniciativa a favor de matrimonio igualitario". zacatecasonline.com.mx. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
9. "Presentarán hoy, en Legislatura de Zacatecas, nueva iniciativa en materia de matrimonio igualitario". La Jornada Zacatecas (in Spanish). 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
10. (in Spanish) Presentan diputados iniciativa a favor de matrimonio igualitario
11. "Conapred pide a Zacatecas respaldar matrimonio igualitario". El Informador :: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-15.
12. Congreso de Zacatecas rechaza el matrimonio igualitario
13. (in Spanish) Matrimonio igualitario en Zacatecas
14. (in Spanish) Ayuntamiento de Zacatecas reconoce matrimonio igualitario
15. (in Spanish) Preocupa a Tello la legalidad del matrimonio igualitario
16. (in Spanish) Obispo de Zacatecas no acepta matrimonios igualitarios
17. (in Spanish) Zacatecas celebra primer matrimonio igualitario sin necesidad de amparo
18. (in Spanish) Presentan diputados iniciativa a favor de matrimonio igualitario
19. (in Spanish) En Cuahutémoc, a favor de los matrimonios igualitarios
20. "Villanueva, primer municipio perredista del estado en aprobar los matrimonios igualitarios". La Jornada Zacatecas (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
21. "Aprueba ayuntamiento de Fresnillo matrimonios igualitarios". PÓRTICO: Noticias de Zacatecas con tinta de libertad (in Spanish). 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
22. "Da Fresnillo el sí a matrimonios igualitarios". NTR Zacatecas .com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-07-07.
23. (in Spanish) Contraerá matrimonio primera pareja del mismo sexo en el estado de Zacatecas
24. (in Spanish) Aprueban primer matrimonio homosexual en Fresnillo
25. (in Spanish) Celebrarán primer matrimonio gay en Fresnillo
26. (in Spanish) Zacatecas celebra primer matrimonio igualitario sin necesidad de amparo
27. (in Spanish) Encuesta nacional 2017, Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica
28. (in Spanish) #Data | ¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay?