A Statement from NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell
(San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2010) — Today Mexico City’s marriage equality bill takes effect, granting same-sex couples the rights, responsibilities and protections guaranteed by marriage, in addition to the right to adopt. The bill passed Mexico City’s legislature with a vote of 39-20 on December 21, 2009 and was upheld by Mexico’s highest court, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. Mexico City is the second municipality after Buenos Aires to extend the right to marry to same-sex couples in Latin America. The National Center for Lesbian Rights issued the following statement:
A statement from Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights:
“This is a historic day for Mexico City’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and we commend Mexico’s highest court and Mexico City’s legislature for ending discrimination in marriage and recognizing that the love and commitment shared by same-sex couples deserve to be fully recognized under the law. Mexico City has sent a clear message to the world that it recognizes and respects equality for LGBTQ families, and that the exclusion of same-sex couples from the safety and security provided by marriage denies them of a fundamental human right. Today we congratulate the couples and families who have long waited for this day come, and the lawmakers and advocates who have worked tirelessly for love, equality, and the promise of freedom to marry for all.”
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.