Mexico: State’s planned first gay wedding scuppered by bomb threat
The first gay wedding that was set to take place in the Mexican state of Baja California was scuppered by a bomb threat.
The Mexican Supreme Court recently ruled that the northern state – which borders the US state of California – could not prevent Victor Aguirre Espinoza and Fernando Urías Amparo from marrying.
Same-sex marriage is currently only permitted in the states of Mexico City and Quintana Roo – with Coahuila also voting a bill into law in September legalising same-sex marriage and gay adoption.
However, the country has seen a harsh backlash against equal marriage, with 30,000 people taking to the streets to protest in Saltillo.
Mr Espinoza and Mr Amparo had planned to make history in Baja California with their wedding last Friday – but their plans were called off, when a bomb threat was made at Mexicali City Hall.
The pair’s friends, family and wedding party – along with the assembled media – all had to be evacuated from the venue following the incident.
The couple’s attorney accused Mayor Jaime Díaz Ochoa of deliberately throwing other bureaucratic hurdles in front of the process – ensuring that they were turned away and not permitted to marry.
