State of Coahuila becomes first in Mexico to pass marriage in the legislature

September 02, 2014

This week, the state of Coahuila in Mexico became the first state in the country to approve the freedom to marry in the state legislature. The state, which borders Texas in the United States, joins the Federal District and Quintana Roo in extending the freedom to marry to all same-sex couples.

By a vote of 19-1, the legislature in Coahuila approved this language:

"Marriage is the free union with full consent of two people, which has as its objective to realize community life where both [people] seek respect, equality and mutual aid, and make in a free, responsible, voluntary and informed way reproductive decisions that fit their life project, including the possibility of procreation or adoption."

The bill is set to take effect in one week. 

Throughout the rest of Mexico, momentum continues to build for marriage. In December 2012, the Mexican Supreme Court declared that the Oaxaca civil code restricting marriage to different-sex couples is unconstitutional, but Mexican law dictates that the ruling only applied to the three couples who filed the suit. If the Mexican Supreme Court rules the same way in two additional cases, binding national precedent is set,, and all other jurisdictions in the country will have the freedom to marry. The movement this week in Coahuila is a strong step in the right direction for freedom for all Mexico residents.

Worldwide, more than 10 percent of the global population lives in a jurisdiction where same-sex couples have the freedom to marry. Same-sex couples can share (or will soon be able to share) in the freedom to marry in 19 countries.

Nationwide, gay and lesbian people are free to marry in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England/Wales/Scotland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay. In Mexico and the United States, same-sex couples have the freedom to marry in some jurisdictions, with 44% of the United States population living in 19 marriage states and the District of Columbia and Mexico City and the state of Quintana Roo representing Mexico.

Learn more about marriage for same-sex couples internationally here.