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Inter-American Court endorses same-sex marriage

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that same-sex marriage should be recognized, delivering a verdict binding on most Latin American states -- some of which still hold traditionalist views opposing such unions.The decision, published Tuesday, was in response to a motion lodged by Costa Rica in May 2016.States that are signatories to the American Convention on Human Rights adopted in 1969 are required to adhere to the court&#x27;s rulings.Several of them already do recognize homosexual marriages, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.Others, such as Chile and Ecuador, currently recognize same-sex civil unions but not marriages. And some countries, such as Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru acknowledge neither.Venezuela, which does not recognize same-sex marriage, has withdrawn from the convention.The United States and Canada, although part of the Organization of American States that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights is part of, have not ratified the convention, but both accept same-sex marriages.The ruling from the Costa Rica-based court said homosexual married couples should have the same rights as heterosexual ones existing under each country&#x27;s laws.As such, it said it was inadmissible and discriminatory for a separate legal provision to be established just for homosexual marriages.The court acknowledged that some states would face institutional difficulties in bringing in the right for same-sex couples to marry, noting that often opposition was based on religious criteria.That reflected the fact that many Latin Americans identify as Catholic.But the court said that &quot;in democratic societies, there should exist mutually peaceful coexistence between the secular and the religious,&quot; with neither interfering with the other.Costa Rica&#x27;s legislation does not currently permit same-sex marriage, although there is recognition of economic and property rights for same-sex couples.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that same-sex marriage should be recognized, delivering a verdict binding on most Latin American states -- some of which still hold traditionalist views opposing such unions.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that same-sex marriage should be recognized, delivering a verdict binding on most Latin American states -- some of which still hold traditionalist views opposing such unions.