Ecuador's Highest Court Orders Lawmakers To Allow Gay Couples To Marry
- By
- Carlos Santoscoy
- | June 13, 2019
Ecuador's highest court, the Constitutional Court, on Wednesday instructed lawmakers to approve legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The 5-4 ruling comes after a lengthy legal battle waged by several couples who wish to marry.
Ecuador has recognized gay couples with civil unions for a decade. But plaintiffs Efrain Soria and Xavier Benalcazar, who have been in a civil union since 2012, argued that they have fewer rights than married couples.
The couple told the AP that they would begin planning a wedding immediately. Soria called the ruling “a joy for our entire community and Ecuador.”
Gay couples can marry in only a handful of Latin American nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Uruguay. Such unions are allowed in several Mexican states and all states must recognize those marriages.