Same-sex marriage in Jalisco

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Same-sex marriage has been legal in Jalisco since a unanimous ruling by the Mexican Supreme Court on 26 January 2016 striking down the state's same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional under Articles 1 and 4 of the Constitution of Mexico. The ruling was published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 21 April; however, some municipalities refused to marry same-sex couples until being ordered by Congress to do so on 12 May 2016.[1] The state Congress passed a bill codifiying same-sex marriage into law on 6 April 2022.[2]

Previously, Jalisco had recognized civil unions offering several of the rights and benefits of marriage. Civil union legislation passed Congress in October 2013 and took effect on 1 January 2014, but was struck down on procedural grounds by the Supreme Court in September 2018.[3][4]

Civil unions

In April 2013, deputies from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM), Citizens' Movement (MC) and an independent deputy presented the Free Coexistence Act (Spanish: Ley de Libre Convivencia) to Congress.[5] The legislation guaranteed several legal rights, benefits and obligations to same-sex couples in the form of civil unions. It did not legalize adoption and mandated that civil unions be performed with a civil law notary.[5][6] On 31 October 2013, the Congress of Jalisco approved the bill in a 20–15 vote,[3] with one abstention and three absences.[6] The law took effect on 1 January 2014.[4]

Political party Members Yes No Abstain Absent
Institutional Revolutionary Party 17 15 1 1
National Action Party 13 11 2
Party of the Democratic Revolution 2 2
Ecologist Green Party of Mexico 1 1
Citizens' Movement 5 1 3 1
Independent 1 1
Total 39 20 15 1 3

On 13 September 2018, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation struck down the law on procedural grounds.[7][8]

Same-sex marriage

Background

After having filed an amparo in court, Zaira Viridiana de la O Gómez and Martha Sandoval became the first same-sex couple to marry in Jalisco on 14 December 2013.[9] In December 2013, 12 couples of the same sex—eight women and four men—filed an amparo after their applications for marriage licenses were rejected by civil registry officials. The amparo was granted on 12 June 2014.[10]

In January 2014, a male couple sought a marriage license at the civil registry in Guadalajara, but were rejected based on articles 258, 260 and 267bis of the state's Civil Code. They filed an amparo in the Fourth District Court.[11] On 8 January 2015, because Guadalajara municipal officials had challenged the amparo, the case was elevated to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).[12] The couple was granted the amparo, but still contested the constitutionality of the three articles.[13] Article 258 of the Civil Code described marriage as "an institution of public character and social interest, through which a man and a woman decide to share a state of life in search of personal fulfillment and the foundation of a family". Article 260 stated that "the man and the woman" had to be at least sixteen years old, and article 267bis required "the man and the woman" to have completed premarital counseling.[14] On 26 November 2015, the First Chamber of the Mexican Supreme Court declared the three articles unconstitutional.[15][16] On 24 March 2014, ten same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses at the civil registry office in Guadalajara.[17][18] They were turned down, and filed an amparo with the help of CLADEM.[19]

In June 2014, Deputy Héctor Pizano Ramos from the Institutional Revolutionary Party introduced legislation to Congress to legalize same-sex marriage.[20] After a national ruling from the SCJN labeling all bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional on 12 June 2015, state deputies announced on 17 June that they would renew their efforts to amend the Civil Code after the ruling's official publication in the judicial gazette.[21]

Action of unconstitutionality (2015–2016)

On 4 May 2015, the National Human Rights Commission filed an action of unconstitutionality (acción de inconstitucionalidad; docketed 28/2015) against the state of Jalisco, contesting the constitutionality of articles 258, 260 and 267bis. The Congress of Jalisco had recently amended state family law but while doing so did not repeal the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The Commission took this opportunity to file the action of unconstitutionality.

On 26 January 2016, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the three articles were unconstitutional, determining that Jalisco's same-sex marriage ban violated Articles 1 and 4 of the Constitution of Mexico. Article 1 of the Constitution states that "any form of discrimination, based on ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disabilities, social status, medical conditions, religion, opinions, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other form, which violates the human dignity or seeks to annul or diminish the rights and freedoms of the people, is prohibited.", and Article 4 relates to matrimonial equality, stating that "man and woman are equal under the law. The law shall protect the organization and development of the family."[a] The three articles were struck down upon the ruling's publication in the judicial gazette and a new gender-neutral text from the court overrode the existing text upon publication in Jalisco's state gazette and the federal gazette. Following all three publications, civil registries in the state were ordered to marry all couples.[23][24] Prior to the publication date, the mayors of Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque and Zapopan had ordered the civil registries in their jurisdictions to start marrying same-sex couples.[25] On 21 April 2016, the Supreme Court ruling was printed in the Official Journal of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación),[26] and on 23 April the ruling was published in Jalisco's state gazette.[27]

In March 2016, the civil registry of Puerto Vallarta told the media that the Jalisco State Civil Registry Directory had changed all marriage license forms to gender-neutral on 22 March and that couples could already begin receiving them.[28] Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña officiated the weddings of two same-sex couples on 20 April 2016, which were the first same-sex marriages recorded in the resort city.[29] On 12 May 2016, the Congress of Jalisco instructed all of the state's municipalities to enforce the Supreme Court ruling and perform same-sex marriages.[30] According to a local LGBT group, four municipalities were known to have refused to marry at least one same-sex couple following the Supreme Court ruling: La Barca, Ocotlán, Santa María de los Ángeles and Tepatitlán.[31] The Supreme Court ruling also struck down the state's adoption ban.[26][32] By May 2016, the municipality of Guadalajara had received five applications of adoption by same-sex couples.[31]

Passage of legislation in Congress (2022)

On 29 June 2017, Deputy Claudia Delgadillo González introduced a bill to Congress to reflect the Supreme Court ruling by modifying articles 258, 260 and 267bis of the Civil Code and inserting a gender-neutral definition of marriage.[33] A similar bill to codify the Supreme Court ruling into law was passed by the state Congress on 6 April 2022 by a vote of 26–8 with 3 abstentions.[2] The vote was secret without the public being able to have knowledge of the votes cast by each representative. The secret vote was requested by Deputy Susana de La Rosa Hernández, who had introduced the legislation to Congress, who feared that deputies voting in favor would be harassed and receive threats from conservative Catholic groups protesting outside the Congress building. The National Regeneration Movement and the local left-wing Hagamos party made it known that their deputies had voted in favor of the reform.[34] Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez welcomed the vote.[35] The law was published in the official state journal on 9 April 2022, and took effect the following day.[36]

Article 258 of the Civil Code was amended to read:

  • in Spanish: El matrimonio es una institución de carácter público e interés social, por medio de la cual dos personas deciden de manera libre para realizar la comunidad de vida, para la búsqueda de su realización personal y la fundación de una familia con respeto, ayuda mutua e igualdad de derechos y obligaciones.
  • (Marriage is a public and social institution, through which two people decide freely to carry out a community of life, in search of personal fulfillment and the foundation of a family with respect, mutual aid and equal rights and obligations.)

Statistics

The following table shows the number of same-sex marriages performed in Jalisco since legalization in 2016 as reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.[37]

Number of marriages performed in Jalisco
Year Same-sex Opposite-sex Total % same-sex
Female Male Total
2016 196 120 316 37,600 37,916 0.83%
2017 265 196 461 37,295 37,756 1.22%
2018 293 215 508 35,053 35,561 1.43%
2019 360 233 593 35,230 35,823 1.66%
2020 273 220 493 25,206 25,699 1.92%
2021 418 321 739 33,788 34,527 2.14%

Public opinion

A 2017 opinion poll conducted by Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica found that 42% of Jalisco residents supported same-sex marriage, while 54% were opposed.[38]

According to a 2018 survey by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, 34% of the Jalisco public opposed same-sex marriage, the sixth lowest in Mexico after Mexico City (29%), Baja California (31%), Sonora (31%), Querétaro (32%), and México (34%).[39]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The English translation of the Constitution of Mexico holds no legal weight. In Spanish, the text of Article 4 reads: El varón y la mujer son iguales ante la ley. Esta protegerá la organización y el desarrollo de la familia. In the indigenous Huichol language, co-official in parts of Jalisco, it reads: 'Ukitsi metá 'ukari yaxeikía mekani'aneneni lei hepaitsita. Kiekatari ke miteukutei metá ke memiteuyukuhana waheimá kaninuaka 'iki lei.[22]

References

  1. ^ (in Spanish) Acata Congreso resolución de SCJN sobre matrimonios igualitarios Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b "Congreso de Jalisco aprueba el matrimonio igualitario". Notisistema (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. ^ a b "Jalisco, cuna de charros y tequila, da primer paso hacia el matrimonio gay" (in Spanish). CNN México. 1 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b Same sex civil unions now approved in Jalisco - but they won't be called marriage Archived 2016-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b "Jalisco aprueba ley para uniones gay... pero recortada". Animal Político. Elephant Publishing, LLC. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Acuerdo PRD-PRI, clave para aprobar Libre Convivencia" (in Spanish). El Informador. 1 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Corte invalida Ley de Libre Convivencia de Jalisco". 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  8. ^ "SCJN invalida Ley de Libre Convivencia en Jalisco". Archived from the original on 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  9. ^ TolucaGarcia, Michelle (15 December 2013). "Lesbian Couple First to Marry in Mexican State". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Otra pareja gay obtiene amparo federal para contraer matrimonio". jornadajal.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  11. ^ UNIÓN JALISCO, Redes de Información y Educación del Siglo XXI de EL UNIVERSAL y UNO TV. "Pareja de hombres busca segundo matrimonio civil en Jalisco". unionjalisco.mx. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  12. ^ Maricarmen Rello. "Con amparo, buscan matrimonio parejas del mismo sexo". Milenio. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  13. ^ "Logran matrimonio gay en Jalisco y van contra código civil". Noticias de Chihuahua – Entrelineas. Archived from the original on 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  14. ^ "A revisión, definición del matrimonio en Jalisco". EL INFORMADOR. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  15. ^ "Mexican top court rules in favor of gay marriage". La Prensa. 27 November 2015. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Corte ampara a dos parejas gay en Jalisco para casarse". Informador (in Spanish). 26 November 2015.
  17. ^ "Video: Luchan por matrimonio gay en México". telemundo40.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-03.
  18. ^ "Cladem: ayuntamiento de Guadalajara negó casar a 10 parejas del mismo sexo, pese al precedente legal". jornadajal.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  19. ^ Parejas lésbico-gay inician lucha jurídica para casarse Archived 2014-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Buscan avalar matrimonios gay en Jalisco". elsiglodetorreon.com.mx. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  21. ^ "Casi listo Jalisco para los matrimonios entre personas del mismo sexo". Proyecto Diez. Archived from the original on 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  22. ^ "Mekiku Kiekatari Niukieya Miwima, Kapituru I: Tewi Tinakemeki Muyeika Yuheimá Nunuwame Mexeiya, 'Aritikuru 4º". INALI. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Inconstitucional, prohibir matrimonio gay en Jalisco: SCJN". 26 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  24. ^ "MEXICO: Same-Sex Marriage Legalized In Jalisco State After Unanimous Ruling By Supreme Court". Archived from the original on 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  25. ^ (in Spanish) Jalisco: Ordenan a registros no negar trámites a gays Archived 2019-01-20 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ a b "ACCIÓN DE INCONSTITUCIONALIDAD 28/2015". Archived from the original on 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  27. ^ (in Spanish) Actión de inconstitucionalidad Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine El Estado de Jalisco, Periódico Oficial
  28. ^ (in Spanish) YA HAY ACTAS MATRIMONIALES PARA PERSONAS DEL MISMO SEXO EN PUERTO VALLARTA Archived 2017-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "First same-sex couples married in Puerto Vallarta". Puerto Vallarta Daily News. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  30. ^ (in Spanish) Quieren gays adopter Archived 2016-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ a b "Exhortan a Ejecutivo a cumplir con matrimonios gays" (in Spanish). El Informador. 12 May 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Procedería adopción gay en Jalisco". mural.com (in Spanish). 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  33. ^ (in Spanish) DIPUTADA BUSCA MODIFICAR CÓDIGO CIVIL PARA DAR CLARIDAD A MATRIMONIO ENTRE PERSONAS DEL MISMO SEXO Archived 2019-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "En secreto, diputados de Jalisco avalan el matrimonio igualitario". UDG TV (in Spanish). 7 April 2022.
  35. ^ "Un estado más a 'lista arcoíris': Jalisco aprueba matrimonio igualitario". El Financiero (in Spanish). 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  36. ^ "Número 28762/LXIII/22" (PDF). Periódico Oficial del Estado se Jalisco (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  37. ^ "Matrimonios, Entidad y municipio de registro, Sexo, Sexo". INEGI (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  38. ^ (in Spanish) Encuesta nacional 2017 Archived 2017-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica
  39. ^ (in Spanish) #Data | ¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay? Archived 2019-04-16 at the Wayback Machine

External links