In September, tens of thousands of people across Mexico (pictured above) marched in protest against gay marriage. A glimmer of hope was shown when one person said no – 12-Year-Old Boy Stands Up To Thousands of Anti-Gay Protesters. We were hoping that this was telling us that not everyone was thinking that marriage equality should not happen for all. With the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto supporting a push, should it not go through?
A Mexican congressional committee on Wednesday November 9, 2016 voted to reject a bid by President Enrique Pena Nieto to legalize gay marriage in the country, marking a setback for the president and gay rights in the traditionally conservative country.
The president's office asked Congress in May to change Mexico's constitution to guarantee adults the right to marry without restrictions based on gender, sexual preference, or other reasons.
But, the measure was rejected by a constitutional committee in Mexico's lower house on Wednesday with 19 votes against, 8 in favor and one abstention.
The gay marriage initiative "is considered to be totally and definitively concluded," the lower house committee said in a statement on the vote.
The initiative could technically still move forward but its prospects look poor, said a congressional source.
The rejection was more bad news for Pena Nieto, who is grappling with discontent over a slow economy, conflict of interest scandals, drug gang violence, and Donald Trump's successful White House bid which has sent the peso into a tailspin.
Trump has made pejorative comments about Mexicans and vowed to make Mexico pay for a new wall on the border between the two countries.
Same-sex marriage is permitted in Mexico City, as well as in several states including Coahuila, Quintana Roo, Jalisco, Nayarit, Chihuahua and Sonora. Pena Nieto's measure would have extended that right nationally.
Mexico's Supreme Court said last year that laws restricting marriage to a man and woman were unconstitutional and a Supreme Court judge urged states to legalize gay marriage.
However, many state legislatures have not changed their statutes to comply, meaning couples must file legal challenges case by case to get married. Gay marriage is still banned under local laws in many of Mexico's 31 states. – reuters.com
What will happen in Mexico. Will each state need to go back and fight for marriage equality and maybe eventually be recognized by all states?
Will this rejection of National marriage equality hurt Pena Nieto's power in the nation?
Will he double down and try and move marriage equality forward or will he receive flack for not taking care of the economic issues first?
h/t: reuters.com