Gay Marriage Puts Mexico City at Center of Debate

[unapatriciated]

MEXICO CITY — Angela Alfarache and Ivonne Cervantes met at a party 16 years ago and have been a couple ever since, filling their lives with books and writing and friends. After their daughter, Constanza, was born six years ago, they became a family.

Mexican law never saw it that way. Only Constanza’s biological mother — the pair will not say which one gave birth to her because, as they explain, they are both her mothers — is her legal parent. The law does not recognize the other mother.

In a few weeks, that will change. A new Mexico City law goes into effect March 4 that will allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, propelling the city to the forefront of the global gay rights movement.

“We want society to change its chip that says there is only one kind of family,” said Ms. Alfarache
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/world/americas/07mexico.html


Angela Alfarache and Ivonne Cervantes have been activists for over thirty years. If they can do this in a very religious country, we should be light years ahead of them. Sad that we are not.

[alp227]

1. Good article right there. K&R.

Some thoughts about this:
- Given that Mexico City is the first place in Mexico to legalize same-sex marriage, this appears to be another culture war between the urban cosmopolitans and the rest of the Mexicans.
- It sucks how San Francisco couldn't really have same-sex marriage if it wanted to, but as a city Mexico City could!