Ecuador’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, on Wednesday instructed lawmakers to approve legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The 5-4 ruling comes after a lengthy legal battle waged by several couples who wish to marry.
Ecuador has recognized gay couples with civil unions for a decade. But plaintiffs Efrain Soria and Xavier Benalcazar, who have been in a civil union since 2012, argued that they have fewer rights than married couples.
The couple told the AP that they would begin planning a wedding immediately. Soria called the ruling “a joy for our entire community and Ecuador.”
Gay couples can marry in only a handful of Latin American nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Uruguay. Such unions are allowed in several Mexican states and all states must recognize those marriages.
by Carlos Santoscoy
Source – On Top Magazine
