Same-sex marriage in Veracruz

Same-sex marriage is currently not recognized in the Mexican state of Veracruz. On 28 May 2020, the Congress of Veracruz passed a gender-neutral cohabitation law granting cohabitating couples, regardless of sex and sexual orientation, all the rights and obligations of marriage including adoption.

Marriage
LGBT portal

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.

Constitutional wording

The Constitution of Veracruz does not expressly prohibit same-sex marriages, neither does it explicitly recognize them. The Constitution states that "the State will promote the necessary conditions for the full enjoyment of liberty, equality, security and non-discrimination of the people",[lower-alpha 1] adding that the State shall respect family privacy.

Legislative action

In March 2014, Deputy Cuauhtémoc Pola presented an initiative for a partnership law, but no legislative action occurred.[5] Due to lack of action on the civil union bill, Cuauhtémoc Pola introduced to Congress on 31 July 2014 an initiative to amend Article 75 of the Civil Code to legalize same-sex marriage.[6] In September 2014, Pola confirmed that the bill was still awaiting review by committees.[7]

In April 2015, citing disappointment with the stalled bill, the president of Veracruz's Human Rights Committee announced his intention to hand Congress a new bill to legalize same-sex marriage.[8] In July 2016, Deputy Mónica Robles Barajas (PVEM) submitted another initiative to legalize same-sex marriage.[9] These proposals have seen very little legislative progress, due to opposition from the National Action Party (PAN).[10]

In April 2017, the Civil Registry of Xalapa announced its support for same-sex marriage.[11]

In July 2018, as one of their last actions before leaving office, PAN submitted a proposal to Congress to explicitly ban same-sex marriage in the state Constitution. It failed to pass, with 32 deputies in favor, 10 against and 2 absentions. It needed 33 votes to pass, thus failing by one vote.[12] The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA winning the majority of legislative seats and the governorship.

Cohabitation law

On 28 May 2020, behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Congress of Veracruz passed a cohabitation bill, by a vote of 35-12. The bill grants cohabitating couples, different-sex or same-sex, the same rights, benefits and obligations as married couples.[13][14] The law went into effect on 11 June 2020,[15] following the signature of Governor Cuitláhuac García Jiménez. The legislation defines cohabitation as follows:

  • El concubinato es la unión de hecho entre dos personas, sin que exista un contrato entre ellos, ambos se encuentren libres de matrimonio y que deciden compartir la vida para apoyarse mutuamente.
  • (Cohabitation is the de facto union between two persons, without the existence of a contract between them, both being free of marriage and deciding to share life to support each other.)
Political party Members Yes No Abstain Absent
National Regeneration Movement 29 26 1 1 1
National Action Party 13 2 11
Institutional Revolutionary Party 3 3
Citizens' Movement 2 2
Party of the Democratic Revolution 1 1
Ecologist Green Party of Mexico 1 1
Social Encounter Party 1 1
Total 50 35 12 2 1

Executive order

On 20 February 2017, Governor Miguel Ángel Yunes issued an executive order legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Four days later, following protests from Catholic groups, Governor Yunes repealed the order. Subsequently, LGBT activists announced they were filing a case to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.[16] On 20 July 2017, the case against Yunes and the state's same-sex marriage ban was filed before the Fourth District Court.[17] On 7 November 2017, the court issued its ruling in the case, declaring the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.[18] Some LGBT groups had suggested that the ruling effectively legalizes same-sex marriage in the state,[19] though state officials announced that they would continue to enforce the state's marriage ban.

Injunctions
See also: Same-sex marriage in Mexico § México Igualitario Project

In February 2014, a male same-sex couple applied for a marriage license at the Civil Registry in Heroica Veracruz. After being rejected, they filed for an injunction, which was granted on 22 July 2014.[20][21] Despite the approval, the registrar refused to schedule a ceremony for the couple. After presenting their injunction to the registrar in Boca del Río, the wedding was scheduled for 6 December 2014. The ceremony was conducted at the Civil Registry, and it was announced that a second wedding for a lesbian couple was planned.[22]

On 29 January 2015, it was announced that a lesbian couple had won an injunction and would be married in the state on 4 April 2015.[23] It was also announced that there were 8 other pending injunctions.[24]

On 18 June 2015, the civil registrar of the municipality of Veracruz reported that four same-sex couples had requested to marry but were rejected. The couples were advised to file an injunction.[25] On 16 May 2016, a local LGBT group, Comunidad Jarochos, announced that the four couples had filed for an injunction.[26]

On 26 May 2016, the injunctions of three more same-sex couples (two lesbian couples and one gay couple) were granted, taking the number of granted injunctions in the state to seven.[27] 18 same-sex marriages had been performed in Veracruz by August 2017.[28]

Public opinion

According to a 2018 survey by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), 54% of the Veracruz public opposed same-sex marriage, the fourth highest in Mexico.[29]

See also

Notes
  1. In Spanish: Las autoridades del Estado promoverán las condiciones necesarias para el pleno goce de la libertad, igualdad, seguridad y la no discriminación de las personas.[1]
    In Nahuatl: Tekiwahkapantin tlen kateh itech Tlalnankotonalli kipiah tlen tlanawatiskeh kenemin mochiwas ixkoyanyotl, sepanittalistli, tepalewilistli wan amo kinchichikoittaskeh nochtin altepetlakah.[2]
    In Totonac: Mapakgsinanín xalak Pulatamat natamatliwakglha lata’ tlan natamakglhkatsi xla likstu, lakxtúm, tamakgtakgalhni xawá ni nalalakgapalakán xla tachixkuwit.[3]
    In Tepehua: Yu xamach’alka ta’an laklhichimó’okan pulakchibinin katamaqaqteijununá xpuxámaktamij xukxuntáyat ni lapanak, ma’aqstanchuníkan, xpulhistakan, ni jantu xamakaník laktu’unti.[4]

References
  1. "Constitución Política del Estado de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave" (PDF). www.uv.mx (in Spanish).
  2. "Weyi Tlanawatilli Tlen Powi Tlalnankotonalli Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave" (PDF). www.aveli.gob.mx (in Nāhuatl). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. "Limapakgsin Ixlilakkaxlan Xla Pulataman Veracruz Xla Ignacio De La Llave" (PDF). www.aveli.gob.mx. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  4. "Xa'ai Palahachimó'on Ta'an Laklhichimo'okán Pulakchibinin De Ignacio De La Llave" (PDF). www.aveli.gob.mx. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. "Ley de Sociedad de Convivencia no contempla el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo". veracruzanos.info. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  6. "Veraz News: Aprobada la primera boda gay en el Estado de Veracruz". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  7. "Google Translate". google.com.
  8. "Comunidad Lésbico-Gay exige al Congreso de Veracruz aprobar ley de equidad e igualdad". Al Calor Político.
  9. "Propone Mónica Robles Código Civil Para Garantizar Matrimonio Igualitario" (in Spanish). AVIVeracruz. 28 July 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  10. "PAN frena discusión de bodas gay y aborto legal en Congreso de Veracruz". Al Calor Político.
  11. "Registro Civil está a favor del matrimonio igualitario".
  12. U!M, Staff (12 July 2018). "¡Aplausos! Fracasa iniciativa de homófobos en Veracruz contra Matrimonio Igualitario".
  13. "Congreso Local 'avala' matrimonio igualitario". Palabras claras (in Spanish). 28 May 2020.
  14. "Legalizan concubinato sin distinción de sexo en Veracruz". El Universal (in Spanish). 29 May 2020.
  15. "Entran en vigor reformas al Código Civil; Congreso debe adecuar leyes". alcalorpolitico.com (in Spanish). 11 June 2020.
  16. "Activistas LGBT llevarán a la SCJN abrogación de la Carta Matrimonial de Veracruz - Portal Noticias Veracruz". www.xeu.mx.
  17. "Comunidad LGBTI interpone amparo ante negativa de instituir matrimonio igualitario". Presencia.MX. 16 August 2017.
  18. "Aprueban amparo para matrimons y adopciones gay en Veracruz".
  19. Rica, La Opinión de Poza (9 November 2017). "Desconoce Registro Civil sobre amparo que permitiría matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo".
  20. "Ordenan al Registro Civil de Veracruz reconocer bodas gay". e-consulta. 31 July 2014.
  21. "Aprobada la primera boda gay en el Estado de Veracruz". www.xeu.com.mx.
  22. "¡Lo lograron! Celebra Veracruz primer matrimonio gay". e-veracruz.mx.
  23. "Se efectuará segundo patrimonio gay con amparo en Veracruz". Plumas libres.
  24. "Gana pareja del mismo sexo juicio en Veracruz y se casará en abril". veracruzanos.info. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
  25. "Niegan matrimonio en Veracruz a 4 parejas del mismo sexo" (in Spanish). Veracruz, Mexico: E-consulta. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  26. "Tramitan amparos cuatro parejas del mismo sexo para celebrar matrimonio". e-veracruz.mx. 16 May 2016.
  27. "Ganan amparos 3 parejas lésbico-gay de Veracruz-Boca; podrán casarse". Noticias de Veracruz. 26 May 2016.
  28. "Confirman primer matrimonio igualitario en el sur de Veracruz". Presencia.MX. 8 April 2017.
  29. (in Spanish) #Data | ¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay?
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