Roughly a month after Ecuador's highest
court, the Constitutional Court, ruled that gay and lesbian couples
could marry, a lesbian couple on Thursday became the first same-sex
couple to tie the knot in the South American nation of 16 million.
According to the AP, Michelle Avilés
and Alexandra Chávez
married at the civil registry office in the city of Guayaquil.
The women said they would throw a party
to celebrate their marriage in November.
The marriage was overseen by civil
registry official Andrea Albán.
While Ecuador has recognized gay
couples with civil unions for a decade, plaintiffs in the legal
challenge argued that they have fewer rights than married couples.
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.
The AP reported that several other
couples are preparing to marry.