Brazil's conservative Social Christian
Party on Tuesday appealed a ruling which effectively legalized gay
marriage in the nation.
The National Council of Justice, which
oversees the country's judiciary, last week ruled that notary publics
cannot deny a gay couple's request for a marriage license.
The decision comes two years after the
nation's Supreme Court ruled that the constitution guaranteed gay
couples the same rights as heterosexuals couples, but volleyed the
issue of marriage back to legislators. Several gay couples
petitioned the court system to convert their civil unions into full
marriages, with mixed rulings. Last week's ruling means that couples
in all 27 states no longer need to petition a judge to receive a
marriage license.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the
party argued that the council's ruling was unconstitutional because
Congress has not legalized marriage equality.
Congressman Marco Feliciano, an
evangelical pastor and outspoken opponent of gay rights who has
called AIDS a “gay cancer,” is a leader of the Social Christian
Party.