Tagged: gay marriage

The Mexican Supreme Court overturned an Oaxaca state law prohibiting same-sex marriage. The ruling may have a wide-ranging influence, leading to the legalization of gay marriage in Mexico.

The unanimous ruling is aligned with Mexico City, where gay marriage has been legal since 2010.

Some are citing this week’s decision as evidence that Mexico is paving the way for gay marriages to be recognized not only throughout the nation, but other Latin American countries as well.

Six years ago Arizona voters narrowly rejected a measure to outlaw not only gay marriage but also civil unions. But in 2008 a scaled-back proposal to solely constitutionally define marriage as between one man and one woman passed on a 56-44 margin. And similar measures have been approved across the nation. That is until this year when voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved allowing gays to wed. And Minnesotans rejected a ban on same-sex weddings. With that in mind, Scottsdale Republican Tanner Pritts said he formed Arizona Advocates for Marriage Equality.

A federal court ruling today voiding California's ban on same-sex marriage could eventually affect a similar law here. 

In a divided ruling a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the 2008 California initiative banning same sex marriage runs afoul of the equal protection provision of the U.S. Constitution. The court's rulings hold precedent for all Western states, including Arizona, where voters approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage also in 2008.