Three Puerto Rico lawmakers said Monday
that they plan to sue Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, a Democrat,
over his decision to no longer defend in court the territory's ban on
gay marriage.
The decision paves the way for Puerto
Rico, a U.S. territory, to legalize gay nuptials.
(Related: Puerto
Rico drops its defense of gay marriage ban.)
Senator Angel “Chayanne” Martinez
and Representatives Maria Milagros Charbonier and Carlos Johny Mendez
Nuñez, all members of the
Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), said they will seek to declare
unconstitutional Padilla's decision without first going through a
democratic process.
“We believe it is totally contrary to
the law, contrary to the constitution of Puerto Rico and contrary to
the democratic foundations of our system of government for our
governor to have taken a position on same-sex marriage,” Charbonier
told reporters during a press conference.
In previous comments, Charbonier called
the decision “a slap in the face.”
(Related: Ricky
Martin cheers Puerto Rico's decision to stop defending its gay
marriage ban.)
The reversal has also angered religious
leaders, with the Catholic Church calling for a referendum on the
issue.