MEXICO CITY (HPD) — The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights celebrated Friday the legalization of same-sex marriage throughout Mexico following the recent approval of legal reforms in four states, but urged authorities to harmonize some state legislation to consolidate the legal floor.
As a “remarkable advance” in the rights of the LGBTI+ community, the Office in Mexico of the High Commissioner for Human Rights considered the recent approvals by the congresses of Tabasco, State of Mexico, Guerrero and Tamaulipas of the reforms of the civil codes that allowed the legalization of unions between people of the same sex to be extended to all of Mexico.
In a statement, the agency called for the conclusion of legislative harmonization in some states so that marriage between people of the same gender is reflected in their civil legislation.
Some local humanitarian organizations such as Amicus, which defends the rights of the LGBTI+ community, also spoke in favor of the congresses of the states of Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Nuevo León, Chihuahua and Chiapas reforming the civil codes to harmonize them with the legislation on the matter. of same-sex marriage approved by state governments.
In this regard, Juan Pablo Delgado, executive director of Amicus, told The Associated Press that in those five states there is “a risk of uncertainty” because since these unions are not stipulated in the civil codes, state authorities can unilaterally modify the regulations. about that matter.
Delgado admitted that the legalization of same-sex marriage is an important advance for the Mexican LGBTI+ community, but maintained that there is still a “pending debt” in relation to the recognition of gender identity, which is allowed in 21 of the 32 states, and on conversion therapies that have been approved in only five states.
The activist indicated that the “debt is greater” in terms of social rights such as access to education, health and housing, among others.
The northern state of Tamaulipas became the last of Mexico’s 32 states on Wednesday to authorize equal marriage, a decision that was considered historic by some humanitarian organizations that affirmed that the reform closes more than a decade of struggles for that right.
One of those who celebrated the decision was the Minister President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Arturo Zaldívar, who declared on Twitter: “the whole country shines with a huge rainbow. Long live the dignity and rights of all people. Love is love”.
In 2015, the Supreme Court declared state laws preventing same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but some states took several years to pass the reforms.