A court in Bogota has reversed a
decision annulling Colombia's first gay marriage.
The September 20 union of Julio Albeiro
Cantor Borbon and William Alberto Castro Franco was declared a
marriage by a Bogota civil court judge. A second couple, Elizabeth
Castillo and Claudia Zea, joined them a week later.
Judge Eduardo Diaz annulled the first
marriage earlier month, saying there is no constitutional right for
gay people to marry.
The Husband and Wife Foundation, an
anti-gay group run by Javier Suarez, moved to have the marriage
canceled.
But on Thursday, the Superior Court of
Bogota disagreed with Diaz and upheld the marriage, local
media reported.
“Judge's order which annulled
Colombia's first gay marriage has been revoked,” gay rights group
Colombia Diversa tweeted. “Marriage is still valid.”
Gay couples in Colombia turned to the
courts after lawmakers failed to meet a June 20 deadline imposed by
the nation's Constitutional Court.
In 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled
that gay couples had a right to a family and ordered Congress to
remedy the situation. The court said that if a law is not approved
by June 20, 2013, then “gay couples can go to a notary and with the
same solemnity of a heterosexual marriage enter a union similar to
one between a heterosexual couple.”
Suarez has not said whether his group
will appeal the decision.