LGBT rights in Mexico City

LGBT rights in Mexico City are more considerably more progressive than the rest of Mexico. On March 4, 2010, it became the first area in Mexico to issue same-sex marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Legal status of homosexuality

Homosexuality is legal in Mexico City since the country's adoption of the Napoleonic Code (via the brief French occupation of Mexico (1862–67)).

LGBT adoption

Joint legal adoption by same-sex couples is legal in Mexico City since 2010.

Recognition of same-sex unions

Same-sex marriage is legal in Mexico City, having been approved by its Legislative Assembly on 21 December 2009, and signed into law by Head of Government Marcelo Ebrard on 29 December 2009.[1] The law was effective on 4 March 2010.[2]

Civil unions, known as Sociedades de Convivencia and offering some of the rights of marriage, have been legal in the city since November 2006.

Changing legal gender

Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name in Mexico City since August 29, 2008.

Anti-LGBT violence

Male gay-pride marchers, with signs and rainbow flags
LGBT marchers denouncing hate crimes based on sexual orientation at 2009 LGBT Pride Parade in Mexico City.

Between 1995 and 2005, 126 homosexuals were murdered in Mexico City.[3] Of those, 75 percent were reclaimed by their families. In 10 percent of the cases, families identified the victim but did not reclaim their bodies (which were buried in common graves) and the remaining 5 percent were never identified.[3]

Former assistant attorney for crime victims at the Federal District Attorney General's Office (PGJDF) Barbara Illan Rondero strongly criticized the lack of sensitivity and professionalism on the part of investigators in crimes committed against homosexuals and lesbians:

"I still can't determine if this is due to negligence, lack of preparation or down-right covering up and is a matter that has to do with the intention of not solving these crimes because they carry no weight of importance".[3]

Alejandro Brito Lemus, director of the news supplement Letra S ("Letter S"), claimed that only four percent of gays and lesbians who suffer from discrimination present their complaints to authorities:

"In spite of the gravity of the aggressions suffered, the majority of gays, lesbians and transsexuals prefer to keep silent about what happens and to remain isolated in fear of being attacked again in revealing their sexual orientation".[3]

History of LGBT rights

Photo from gay-pride parade in Mexico City, with rainbow flag
2009 LGBT Pride Parade in Mexico City. The first parade, in 1979 (also known as LGBT Pride March), attracted over 1,000 marchers.
September: Mexico City passed an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, the first of its kind in the country.
21 December: Mexico City's Legislative Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. Eight days later, List of heads of government of the Mexican Federal District (Mayor) Marcelo Ebrard signed the bill into law.
5 August: The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (the highest federal court in the country) voted 9–2 to uphold the constitutionality of Mexico City's same-sex marriage reform. Four days later it upheld the city's adoption law.

See also

References

  1. Mark Stevenson (Associated Press) (29 December 2009). "Mexico City enacts region's 1st gay marriage law". boston.com. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  2. (Spanish) Mónica Archundia (5 January 2010). "La primera unión gay, para marzo". El Universal. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3