Same-sex marriage in Mexico City

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Mexico City since March 4, 2010. This happened after a bill was approved by the Legislative Assembly on December 21, 2009, and signed into law by Head of Government Marcelo Ebrard on December 29. Mexico City was the first place in all of Mexico and also the first in Latin America to allow people of the same sex to marry.

Before same-sex marriage was allowed, same-sex couples could enter into civil unions. These are called sociedades de convivencia in Spanish. Civil unions give some of the same rights and benefits as marriage, and they have been recognized for same-sex couples since March 16, 2007.

Many people in Mexico City support allowing same-sex marriage. This shows that the city values fairness and equal treatment for all families.

Civil unions

Mexico City allowed people in loving relationships who are of the same gender to join in a special way called a civil union. This started after many people asked for it for years. In 2006, leaders in the city voted to allow these unions, and it began in March 2007. Many people were happy about this change, but some others were not. The first couple to join in this way was Jorge Cerpa Trejo and Antonio Medina Velázquez. By 2009, many couples had taken part in these civil unions.

Same-sex marriage

On November 24, 2009, a lawmaker named David Razú Aznar suggested a new rule to let two people of the same gender marry in Mexico City. He said everyone should follow the same rules, no matter who they love. Many groups supported this idea.

On December 21, 2009, the lawmakers in Mexico City voted to allow same-sex marriage. The leader of the city, Marcelo Ebrard, signed the new rule on December 29, 2009, and it started on March 4, 2010. The first same-sex marriages happened on March 11, 2010. By August 2010, the country’s highest court said the rule was fair for everyone.

In 2016 and 2017, Mexico City made sure its constitution protected the right for same-sex couples to marry. Many couples from all over the country came to Mexico City to marry, and most of these marriages stayed strong for many years.

Public opinion

Opinion polls

In September 2009, a survey in Mexico City showed people were nearly split on same-sex marriage, with 48% supporting it and 46% opposing it. By November 2009, another survey of 1,000 people found 50% in favor, 38% against, and 12% unsure. Younger people aged 18 to 29 were more likely to support it (67%), while older people aged 50 and above were less likely to support it (38%). The main reasons people supported it were the "right of choice" (48%) and the idea that "everybody is equal" (14%). Those against it often said it was "not normal" (39%) or that it would "lose values" (18%).

By 2017, support had grown to 63% among Mexico City residents, with 32% opposed. A 2018 survey found that only 29% of people in Mexico City opposed it, the lowest in all of Mexico.

Opposition

The National Action Party said the bill for same-sex marriage was a political move that did not truly represent the LGBT community. The Roman Catholic Church opposed the law, saying marriage should only be between a man and a woman because it allows for procreation. Some Catholic lawyers asked the Head of Government to veto the bill, saying it went beyond what was originally planned.