1,000 gay marriages in Mexico City
Mexico City’s civil registry has announced that 1,000 same-sex marriages have been registered since marriage equality came into law last year.
City lawmakers approved a bill in December 2009 and mayor Marcelo Ebrard then signed it into law, with gay couples waiting until March 4th 2010 to wed.
The legislation changed the definition of marriage in the city’s Civil Code from “a free union between a man and a woman” to “a free union between two people.”
The measure also granted same-sex couples the same legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples, including being able to adopt children.
The city registry also notes that about six per cent of those getting married in same-sex weddings in Mexico City are foreigners.
While the measure was debated, supporters said it would increase tourism to the city.
According the published statistics, the first 1,000 weddings involved 548 gay couples and 452 lesbian couples.
About 85 per cent of the marriages were between partners age 31 and older. Overall the average age for marriages in the country is 28 for men and 25 for women.
