Same-sex marriage in Mexico

The Constitution of Mexico does not explicitly define nor ban same-sex marriage. The Constitution does contain various articles protecting the "integrity of the family" and the "fraternity and equality of rights of all" and forbidding "any form of discrimination, based on [...] sexual orientation, marital status, [...] which violates the human dignity or seeks to annul or diminish the rights and freedoms of the people". For these reasons, the Mexican Supreme Court has ruled that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

Article 4 provides that men and women have an equal right to marry,[53][54] reading that "the law shall protect the organization and development of the family."[lower-alpha 2]

The activist group México Igualitario is pursuing a legal strategy to win same-sex marriage state-by-state through court action. When a court in Mexico rules that an existing law is unconstitutional in five separate and consecutive amparos, using identical language in each ruling, this creates jurisprudence against that law and bounds the state legislatures to change the law. This process is called recurso de amparo. When a same-sex couple is denied the right to marry, they can file an amparo with a court to request that they be allowed to legally marry. Since 2015, the courts have been obliged to rule in favor of same-sex couples seeking marriage certificates. An amparo may be invoked when a person feels their rights have been violated. The process is not expensive, but is time-consuming. The English word "injunction" can be used to refer to amparos.[55] Despite the legal requirement for the states to legalize same-sex marriage after 5 amparo rulings, this has often not been followed. In Chihuahua, prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage there in 2015, almost 20 injunctions were carried out. Several states have chosen to ignore or delay the implementation of same-sex marriage.

A different procedure exists. If officials in a given state repeatedly appeal amparo cases to a federal appeals court and lose five times in a row (note that since 2015 no court in Mexico is allowed to rule against same-sex marriage), and if the appellate court then forwards the results to the Supreme Court (SCJN), the SCJN can force the state legislature to repeal its ban. The Court gives the state a deadline by which it must modify its laws, usually 90 or 180 business days. If the state fails to change its laws to allow same-sex marriage by that date, the SCJN will issue a "General Declaration of Unconstitutionality" (Spanish: Declaratoria General de Inconstitucionalidad) and struck the law down. In these cases, the amparo is also called a "resolution". In November 2016, Sinaloa became the first state to reach five identical resolutions in a row, followed by Chihuahua in February 2017, Nuevo León in October 2018, and Tamaulipas in November 2018. Other states that are close to reaching five resolutions include Aguascalientes and Sonora.

The Mexican Supreme Court (Spanish: Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación) directly reviews actions of unconstitutionality.

An "action of unconstitutionality" (Spanish: acción de inconstitucionalidad) is a lawsuit seeking to determine if a certain law is unconstitutional. In Mexico, they can only be filed within 30 days after the law has come into force. As many state marriage laws in Mexico are decades-old, LGBT groups cannot file an action of unconstitutionality against these laws. However, if these laws are modified by the state legislatures, then this qualifies for an action of unconstitutionality. For instance, in 2016, the Congress of Puebla modified its marriage laws, but left intact provisions outlawing same-sex marriages. LGBT groups quickly filed an action of unconstitutionality. Actions of unconstitutionality are reviewed by the full bench of the Mexican Supreme Court. The Court decides whether these laws are constitutional, and if they are not, they are struck down. Unlike the amparo and resolution processes described above, the action of unconstitutionality process is absolute. The states cannot ignore it.

As of April 2019, five states (Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Jalisco, Nuevo León, and Puebla) have had their same-sex marriage bans struck down by the Supreme Court in such a way.

On 8 January 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that the American Convention on Human Rights mandates and requires the recognition of same-sex marriage. The ruling was fully binding on Costa Rica and set binding precedent in other Latin American and Caribbean countries including Mexico.[56]

In the wake of this ruling, LGBT advocacy groups in Mexico have urged the Government to abide by the ruling, and fully legalize same-sex marriage.[57]

Same-sex couples are free to marry in 19 states and the national capital, covering 55% of the population. An additional 2.5% of the population live in municipalities that allow same-sex marriage; these are discussed under "states with local recognition" below.

Federal entities with same-sex marriage

Federal entity	Population (2015)	Date of enactment/ruling	Date effective	Legalization method	Details
Aguascalientes	1,312,544	2 April 2019	16 August 2019[lower-alpha 3]	Judicial decree	Ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court
Baja California	3,315,766	3 November 2017	3 November 2017	Governmental decree
Baja California Sur	763,929	27 June 2019	29 June 2019	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Baja California Sur
Campeche	899,931	10 May 2016	20 May 2016	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Campeche
Chiapas	5,217,908	11 July 2017	11 May 2018[lower-alpha 3]	Judicial decree	Ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court
Chihuahua	3,556,574	11 June 2015	12 June 2015	Gubernatorial decree
Coahuila	2,954,915	1 September 2014	17 September 2014	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Coahuila
Colima	711,235	25 May 2016	12 June 2016	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Colima
Hidalgo	2,858,359	24 May 2019	11 June 2019	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Hidalgo
Jalisco	7,844,830	26 January 2016	21 April 2016[lower-alpha 3]	Judicial decree	Ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court
Mexico City	8,918,653	29 December 2009	4 March 2010	Legislative statute and constitutional amendment	Passed by the Legislative Assembly of Mexico City
Michoacán	4,584,471	18 May 2016	23 June 2016	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Michoacán
Morelos	1,903,811	18 May 2016	5 July 2016	Legislative statute and constitutional amendment	Passed by the Congress of Morelos and ratified by a majority of the state's municipalities
Nayarit	1,181,050	17 December 2015	23 December 2015	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Nayarit
Nuevo León	5,119,504	19 February 2019	31 May 2019[lower-alpha 3]	Judicial decree	Ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court
Oaxaca	3,967,889	26 August 2018	26 August 2018	Administrative decision and legislative statute	Order of the State Director of the Civil Registry. Later codified by the Congress of Oaxaca
Puebla	6,168,883	1 August 2017	16 February 2018[lower-alpha 3]	Judicial decree and legislative statute	Ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court. Later codified by the Congress of Puebla
Quintana Roo	1,501,562	3 May 2012	3 May 2012	Administrative decision	Decision of the state's Secretary of State
San Luis Potosí	2,717,820	17 May 2019	21 May 2019	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of San Luis Potosí
Tlaxcala	1,272,847	8 December 2020	24 December 2020	Legislative statute	Passed by the Congress of Tlaxcala
Total	66,772,481 (51.9% of the Mexican population of 128,649,565)

Civil unions

Being the seat of the Powers of the Union, Mexico City did not belong to any particular state but to all. After years of demanding greater political autonomy, residents were given the right to directly elect the Head of Government of Mexico City and the representatives of the unicameral Legislative Assembly by popular vote in 1997. Ever since, the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) has controlled both political powers.

In the early 2000s, Enoé Uranga, an openly lesbian politician and activist, unsuccessfully pushed a bill that would have legalized same-sex civil unions in Mexico City under the name Ley de Sociedades de Convivencia (LSC).[58] Despite being passed four times by legislative commissions, the bill repeatedly got stuck in plenary voting for its sensitive nature, which could be attributed to the widespread opposition from right-wing groups and then Head of Government Andrés Manuel López Obrador's ambiguity concerning the bill.[59] Nonetheless, since new left-wing Mayor Marcelo Ebrard was expected to take power in December 2006, the ALDF decided to take up the bill and approved it in a 43–17 vote on 9 November.[59]

The law was well received by feminist and LGBT groups, including Emilio Álvarez Icaza, then-chairman of Mexico City's Human Rights Commission, who declared that "the law was not a threat to anyone in particular and that it will be a matter of time before it shows positive consequences for different social groups." It was strongly opposed by conservative groups such as the National Parents' Union and the Roman Catholic Church, which labeled the assemblymen who voted for the law as "sinners" and complained it was "vengeance against the Catholic Church from the more radical groups from the left, who felt it was a demand for justice."[59] The law officially took effect on 16 March 2007.[60] Mexico City's first same-sex civil union was between Jorge Cerpa, a 31-year-old economist, and Antonio Medina, a 38-year-old journalist.[60] By December 2009, 736 same-sex civil unions had taken place in the city, of which 24 had been annulled (3%).[61]

In early September 2014, modifications to the civil union agreement were drafted to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and dissolution support. In essence, the law had provided that upon termination, domestic partners were only allowed support for a period equal to half the length of the partnership. The Supreme Court ruled that the provision was discriminatory as it accorded differential treatment in cases of partnership for cohabitation, marriage or concubinage.[62]

Marriage

On 24 November 2009, PRD Assemblyman David Razú proposed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Mexico City.[63] Luis González Plascencia, chairman of the Humans Rights Commission of Mexico City, backed the bill and said that it was up to the Legislative Assembly to consider LGBT adoption.[64] The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), Amnesty International, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and over 600 non-governmental organizations supported the legalization of same-sex marriage in Mexico City.[65] PAN announced it would either go to the courts to appeal the law or demand a referendum.[66][67] However, a referendum on same-sex marriage was rejected by the Legislative Assembly in a 36–22 vote on 18 December 2009.[68] On 21 December 2009, the Legislative Assembly legalized same-sex marriage (39–20) in Mexico City. The bill changed the definition of marriage in the city's Civil Code from "a free union between a man and a woman" to "a free union between two people."[69] The law grants same-sex couples the same rights as opposite-sex couples, including adopting children.[70] PAN vowed to challenge the law in the courts.[70] On 29 December 2009, Head of Government Marcelo Ebrard signed the bill into law, which became effective on 4 March 2010.[11][71] On 5 August, the Supreme Court voted 8–2 to uphold the constitutionality of Mexico City's same-sex marriage law.[12] The Court ruled on 10 August 2010 that Mexico City marriages are valid throughout the country.[72]

In early January 2017, the Constituent Assembly of Mexico City voted, in its plenary session, 68–11 to fully enshrine same-sex marriage in Mexico City's first Constitution.[73]

From 2014 onwards, multiple same-sex marriage, concubinage and civil union bills were presented to the Congress of Aguascalientes, though all of them stalled due to inaction from the ruling party, PAN.[74][75][76][77][78]

An action of unconstitutionality was filed in 2018 by the State Human Rights Commission of Aguascalientes (Spanish: Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Aguascalientes), challenging articles 143, 144 and 113 bis of the Civil Code, which limited marriage to opposite-sex couples in order to "perpetuate the species". On 2 April 2019, the full bench of the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the case, invalidating the state's same-sex marriage ban.[79][80] The ruling went into effect upon publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 16 August 2019.[81] The Civil Registry had already begun issuing same-sex marriage certificates prior to this date, however.[82]

On 23 August 2010, shortly after the ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court requiring all states to recognise same-sex marriages validly performed in another state, state legislators introduced an amendment to article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Baja California, adding the definition of marriage as being the union of a man and a woman. On 29 September 2010, the Congress of Baja California voted 18–1 in favor of the amendment, and after approval by municipalities, it was published on 27 May 2011.[83] On 13 November 2014, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled that Baja California's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.[84][85]

A bill was introduced to the Baja California Congress on 12 February 2015 to fully legalise same-sex marriage in the state by changing article 7 of the state Constitution.[83][86] In March 2015, politicians in Tijuana began work on an initiative to legalise same-sex marriage in the city.[87] On 22 February 2017, the head of Baja California's adoption agency declared that same-sex couples have the right to adopt in the state; in line with jurisprudence established by the Supreme Court.[88]

On 3 November 2017, the State Government announced that it would cease to enforce its same-sex marriage ban and that the Civil Registry will begin accepting applications for marriage licenses by same-sex couples.[89][90]

A same-sex marriage bill was first proposed in Baja California Sur on 9 April 2010 by the organization La Comunidad Sudcaliforniana en Diversidad Sexual.[91] No action was taken by the state Congress.[92][93] The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA and other pro-same-sex marriage parties winning a majority of legislative seats in Baja California Sur.[42] On 27 June 2019, the state Congress approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, in a 14–5 vote, with one abstention.[94][95] It was signed by the Governor the same day and published in the official journal on 28 June 2019. The law took effect the following day.[96][97][98]

In April 2016, Campeche Governor Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas submitted a same-sex marriage bill to Congress, which was approved on 10 May 2016. The law was published in the official state gazette on 16 May 2016 and came into effect on 20 May 2016.[99] Campeche became the seventh Mexican state to allow same-sex marriage without the need for a court order.[100]

On 6 April 2016, an action of unconstitutionality was filed before the Mexican Supreme Court.[101][102][103] The Supreme Court ruled, in a 9–2 decision, on 11 July 2017 that the man-woman definition of marriage in the Chiapas Civil Code was unconstitutional, legalizing same-sex marriage in Chiapas and eliminating the need for an amparo.[104][105] The ruling came into effect upon publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation, on 11 May 2018.[106] Nonetheless, the Civil Registry began accepting marriage applications from same-sex couples from 30 October 2017, and same-sex couples have been able to marry since that date.[107]

On 11 June 2015, the state Governor announced the state would no longer prevent same-sex marriages, making Chihuahua the fourth jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage.[108] Governor César Duarte Jáquez announced that licenses would be available by 12 June 2015.[109] On 16 June 2015, the President of the Chihuahuan Congress announced that the state would debate the legal codification of the executive decision. Additionally, according to the state National System for Integral Family Development, same-sex couples are allowed to adopt jointly in Chihuahua.[110]

In February 2017, the Mexican Supreme Court issued its fifth resolution against Chihuahua, and ruled the state's Civil Code unconstitutional because it has not yet been modified to reflect the legalization of same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court ordered the state Congress to change its Civil Code within 90 days.[111] However, the Congress has refused to do so. In October 2018, the 10th District Court ruled that should the Congress fail to update its laws "soon", it would hold legislators in contempt and order their dismissal from office.[112]

The legalization of same-sex civil unions in Coahuila had started to be discussed as early as November 2006, simultaneously with the discussion then ongoing in Mexico City.[113] On 11 January 2007, the state Congress legalized same-sex civil unions under the name pacto civil de solidaridad, which gave property and inheritance rights to same-sex couples.[114][115] Twenty days after the law had passed, the country's first same-sex civil union took place in Saltillo. It was between 29-year-olds Karina Almaguer and Karla Lopez, a lesbian couple from Tamaulipas.[116]

On 5 March 2013, Congressman Samuel Acevedo Flores, from the Social Democratic Party, introduced a bill to the Congress of Coahuila to legalize same-sex marriages and adoption by same-sex couples.[117] On 11 February 2014, Congress approved the adoption bill and passed the same-sex marriage bill on 1 September 2014.[118][119] It took effect on 17 September,[120] and the first couple married on 20 September.[121]

In July 2009, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) introduced a formal initiative to legalize civil unions in the western state of Colima.[122] Nevertheless, the following month, the local Congress decided not to take up the initiative, following widespread opposition from right-wing groups.[123] In December 2009, Governor Mario Anguiano Moreno agreed to discuss the legalization of civil unions and adoption by same-sex couples.[124]

On 4 July 2013, the State Congress approved a new form of union, called enlace conyugal (conjugal bond) for same-sex couples, which according to PRI Deputy Martín Flores Castañeda grants the same rights and obligations as marriage.[125]

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state was unanimously approved by the Congress of Colima on 25 May 2016.[126][127] The bill was passed 24 to 0.[128] The existing same-sex civil union law was repealed simultaneously.[129] The same-sex marriage law was published in the state's official gazette on 11 June 2016 and came into effect on 12 June 2016. The new law allows couples who previously contracted civil unions before the legislation was repealed to have them recognized by the state or converted to a marriage.[130] It also allows same-sex couples to adopt children jointly.[131]

As Mexico City and Coahuila had recently legalized civil unions, a similar proposal was introduced in Hidalgo in July 2007.[132] However, it stalled and never reached a vote.[133] In October 2013, the Congress indicated there was not sufficient "maturity" in the society to accept same-sex marriage and that it would instead consider a conjugal partnership bill.[134]

The 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats in Hidalgo. After the election, a same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the state Congress.[42][135] The bill was approved on 14 May 2019, in a vote of 18–2, with 8 abstentions.[136] Governor Omar Fayad signed the bill on 24 May. It was published in the official journal on 10 June 2019 and took effect the following day.[137]

In April 2013, a cross-party group of deputies presented the Free Coexistence Act (Spanish: Ley de Libre Convivencia) to the state Congress.[138] The Act established that same-sex civil unions can be performed in the state, as long as they are not considered marriages. It did not legalize adoption and mandated that civil unions be performed with a civil law notary.[138][139] On 31 October 2013, the Jalisco Congress approved the Act in a 20–15 vote,[140] one abstained and three were absent.[139] The law took effect on 1 January 2014.[141] On 13 September 2018, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation struck down the law on procedural grounds.[142][143]

The first same-sex marriage in the state occurred via amparo in December 2013. On 26 January 2016, the full bench of the Mexican Supreme Court unanimously declared the Civil Code unconstitutional for limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.[144][145] The Jalisco State Civil Registry Directory changed all marriage licenses to gender-neutral on 22 March 2016 so that same-sex couples can already begin receiving them.[146] On 21 April 2016, the Supreme Court ruling took effect after being printed in the Official Diary of the Mexican Federation.[147]

On 12 May 2016, the Congress of Jalisco instructed all the state's municipalities to issue same-sex marriage licenses.[148][149][150] In June 2017, a bill removing the heterosexual definition of marriage and inserting a gender-neutral definition was introduced to Congress.[151]

On 27 August 2015, the Justice and Human Rights Committee announced it would enact a civil union law for same-sex couples. It was approved unanimously in a 34–0 vote by the full Michoacán Congress on 7 September 2015.[152][153] The law was published on 30 September 2015 in the state's official journal.[154]

On 9 February 2016, the Justice and Human Rights Committee approved a Family Code that would allow same-sex marriage and joint adoption.[155] It was stated that the full Michoacán Congress would vote on the proposal in the coming days.[156] However, the vote was postponed until sometime in May 2016.[157] On 18 May 2016, the State Congress eventually approved the proposal by a vote of 27 in favor, none opposed and 8 abstentions.[158][159] The law was published in the state's official diary on 22 June 2016 and came into effect on 23 June. The law allows couples to adopt children jointly.[160]

On 18 May 2016, the Congress of Morelos voted 20 to 6 to approve a constitutional change to legalize same-sex marriage. A constitutional amendment requires the ratification of at least 17 of the 33 municipalities in the state.[161][162] The 33 municipalities had until 25 June 2016 to act on the amendment.[163] At the end of the process, a total of 17 municipalities had ratified the constitutional change and 15 had voted against ratification, while 1 municipality was awarded an extra week, although the clear majority being in favor meant that same-sex marriage would become legal in the state.[164][165] The law was promulgated and published in the state's official gazette on 4 July 2016.[166] It took effect on 5 July.[167] The state adoption agency clarified that the law shall allow same-sex couples to adopt jointly as the process is open to all spouses in Morelos.[168]

On 25 June 2015, PRD Deputy Luis Manuel Hernández Escobedo introduced a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry and making the definition of concubinage gender-neutral.[169] On 17 December 2015, the State Congress approved the bill, in a 26–1 vote, with 1 abstention.[170][171] The bill was published in the official journal, following the Governor's signature, on 22 December 2015, and took effect the following day.[172][173]

On 17 June 2015, the New Alliance Party announced their intention to introduce a same-sex marriage bill. An Independent congressman announced his intention to submit his own civil union proposal with the support of the ruling PAN. On 22 June 2015, New Alliance member and Congress President, María Dolores Leal Cantú, presented the same-sex marriage bill.[174] On 16 May 2016, the president of the Legislative Commission of the State Congress announced that the bill would be voted upon sometime in September,[175] but this did not happen.

An action of unconstitutionality against Nuevo León's same-sex marriage ban was filed in February 2018.[176] On 19 February 2019, the Supreme Court declared articles 140 and 148 of the state Civil Code unconstitutional, fully legalizing same-sex marriage in Nuevo León.[177][178] The ruling came into effect on 31 May 2019 upon publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation.[179]

On 26 August 2012, a Mexican federal court judge ordered the state of Oaxaca to perform same-sex marriages based on a constitutional amendment which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. This ruling was reviewed by the Mexican Supreme Court and the Court issued a unanimous ruling against the ban on same-sex marriage.[180]

In July 2017, a same-sex couple was successful in getting married without first receiving a court order.[181] From late August 2018, the Civil Registry has allowed same-sex couples to marry without the need for an amparo. However, the process took three business days, compared with two hours for opposite-sex couples.[182][183][184][185]

On 28 August 2019, the Congress of Oaxaca passed legislation bringing the state into line with the executive order.[186][187]

On 7 December 2006, a similar civil union bill to that of Mexico City was proposed in Puebla, but it faced strong opposition and criticism from deputies of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the National Action Party (PAN), who declared that "the traditional family is the only social model, and there cannot be another one."[188] Though proposals were presented in 2011 and repeatedly introduced in successive years, no change to the law was approved by the legislatures.[189][190]

On 27 April 2016, an action of unconstitutionality was filed before the Mexican Supreme Court.[101][191] On 1 August 2017, the Supreme Court unanimously declared same-sex marriage to be legal in Puebla, striking down the Civil Code which limited marriage to one man and one woman for the purpose of procreation, and eliminating the need for individual amparos.[192][193][194] The ruling came into effect on 16 February 2018,[195] after publication in the Official Diary of the Federation. Shortly after the ruling, Puebla officials confirmed that same-sex couples are allowed to adopt.[196]

The Congress of Puebla passed a bill codifying the legality of same-sex marriage on 3 November 2020.[197]

Same-sex marriages can be performed in Quintana Roo after a decision by the state's Secretary of State.[16] In November 2011, some public officials in the state began performing same-sex marriages after reviewing the state's Civil Code. The Civil Code of Quintana Roo does not state sex or gender requirements for marriage, only specifying "people interested in getting married".[14] A same-sex couple filed for a marriage license in Cancún and Chetumal after discovering this legal quirk, but both cities rejected their applications, arguing that a man-woman marriage was implied. The couple then applied in Lázaro Cárdenas Municipality, where authorities accepted the application. Quintana Roo's first two same-sex marriages were held in the community of Kantunilkin on 28 November 2011.[198] In May 2012, the Secretary of State issued a decision allowing for future same-sex marriages to be performed in Quintana Roo.

In November 2014, it was announced that a bill to officially legalize same-sex marriage in the state would be introduced and voted on in the current legislative session, thereby replacing the loophole used by couples.[199] In May 2017, a new same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the state Congress.[200]

On 28 April 2014, a citizens' initiative to legalize same-sex marriage was submitted to the Congress of San Luis Potosí. On 8 August 2014, the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and Gender Equity, Miguel Maza Hernández, said that analysis of the proposal would begin.[201] On 17 June 2015, Hernández announced the state's commitment to extending marriage to same-sex couples and stated that deliberations would happen after the June 2015 Supreme Court ruling declaring all laws against same-sex marriage unconstitutional is published in the judicial gazette.[202] On 6 June 2016, it was announced that a special committee would study the marriage bill and vote on it within 90 days.[203] In November 2016, the state Congress voted against the bill legalizing same-sex marriage.[204] One PRD deputy, who mistakenly voted against the bill, announced that he would introduce a new same-sex marriage proposal in 2017.[205]

The new bill was introduced in October 2017.[206] It was approved by the state Congress on 16 May 2019, in a vote of 14–12, with 1 abstention and signed by the Governor on 20 May 2019.[207]

On 29 December 2016, the Congress of Tlaxcala approved a coexistence bill. The bill established civil unions, under the name sociedad de convivencia solidaria, which provides cohabiting same-sex and opposite-sex couples with many of the same rights and obligations of marriage.[208][209] It was published in the official journal, following the Governor's signature, on 11 January 2017 and took effect the following day.[210]

On 13 October 2017, the New Alliance Party introduced a same-sex marriage bill to the State Congress.[211] The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA and the Labor Party, pro-same-sex marriage parties, winning the majority of legislative seats in Tlaxcala.[42]

On 8 December 2020, the Congress of Tlaxcala approved an equal marriage bill in a 16-3 vote.[212]

Three states (Zacatecas, Querétaro and Guerrero) have same-sex marriage at a municipal level, constituting 60% of the population of Querétaro, 40% of Guerrero and 30% of Zacatecas. As of 2019, parties ostensibly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage control the legislatures of Zacatecas and Guerrero.

After the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation's ruling went into effect on 22 June 2015, officials in Guerrero began announcing plans for a collective group wedding.[213] Governor Rogelio Ortega submitted a same-sex marriage bill to Congress on 7 July 2015. Legislators complained that they would have preferred to have the bill passed before marriages took place, but it was not feasible in the available time-frame.[214] On 10 July 2015, 20 same-sex couples were married by Governor Ortega in Acapulco.[215] On 13 January 2016, the head of the Civil Registry of Acapulco stated that the 20 same-sex marriages that occurred on 10 July 2015 in Acapulco were void, as there was no law to permit same-sex marriage in the state.[216] On 13 February 2016, a day before mass Valentine's Day weddings were planned statewide, the head of Guerrero's State Civil Registry department announced that same-sex couples could marry in any jurisdiction willing to marry the couples and criticised Acapulco's Civil Registry and other civil registries throughout the state for not allowing these kinds of weddings. The department head stated that same-sex marriages conducted in Guerrero would be legally valid.[217] Some other Guerreran municipalities, such as Chilpancingo de los Bravo and Zihuatanejo de Azueta, marry same-sex couples.[218][219][220][221] In August 2020, Acapulco announced that it would perform same-sex marriages.[222]

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats in Guerrero.[42]

Status of same-sex marriage in the municipalities of Querétaro.

  Same-sex couples allowed to marry

  Same-sex couples are required to receive an injunction before getting married

On 10 September 2014, it was announced that the state Congress would be considering a civil union bill, as the two prior injunctions obtained were insufficient to require Congress to evaluate same-sex marriage.[223] On 28 November 2014, Luis Bernardo Nava Guerrero, President of the Congressional Joint Commission, announced that the legislation would be postponed to 2015.[224] On 13 June 2016, Eric Salas González, President of the Querétaro Congress, announced that the Congress would wait until same-sex marriage is legislated at the federal level before changing the state Civil Code.[225]

On 21 July 2015, the civil registrar of the municipality of Santiago de Querétaro, which comprises 46% of the state's population, announced that same-sex couples may marry in the municipality without the need for an amparo.[226] As of January 2017, seven other municipalities in the state are marrying same-sex couples without requiring them to receive an amparo beforehand: Amealco de Bonfil, Cadereyta de Montes, Ezequiel Montes, Huimilpan, Pedro Escobedo, San Joaquín and Tolimán, comprising 60% of the state's population altogether.[227] The remaining municipalities require same-sex couples to receive an amparo before getting married.

Querétaro is one of four states, without same-sex marriage at the state level, where pro-same-sex marriage parties do not have a majority of state legislative seats in 2019.

On 18 June 2015, a member of PRD announced that she would submit a bill to reform the state's Civil and Family Codes to give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples.[228]

The July 2018 elections resulted in pro-same-sex marriage parties winning a majority of legislative seats in Zacatecas.[42]

On 14 February 2019, the city of Zacatecas announced it would begin issuing same-sex marriage certificates.[229] Despite claims from the Governor that the marriages would be void,[230] and calls from Bishop Sigifredo Noriega to stop the marriages,[231] the first couple married on 23 February.[232] The municipality of Cuauhtémoc followed suit on 1 March,[233] while a new same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the state Congress around that time.[234] Villanueva followed suit on 20 May 2019.[235]

On 14 August 2019, the state Congress rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, in 11–13 vote, with 2 abstentions.[236]

Of the remaining thirteen states, two (Sinaloa and Tamaulipas) are mandated by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage, and two (Tlaxcala and Veracruz) have civil unions. As of 2019, parties in ostensibly in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage control the legislatures of all but three (Yucatán, Tamaulipas and Guanajuato), though the Morena-controlled Congress of Sinaloa rejected the court-mandated legislation on 19 June 2019.

In September 2013, PRD Deputy Israel Soto Peña introduced a bill to legalize same sex marriage in the state. In February 2014, as no action had been taken on the bill, he requested that it be expedited.[237] On 10 April 2014, the bill was rejected on the basis that it would not sufficiently address the legal changes necessary to correct the Civil Code.[238] In May, Soto Peña announced that he would revamp the initiative and resubmit it,[239] which he did on 1 November 2014.[240]

On 10 February 2016, the Justice Commission of the Congress of Durango approved a draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.[241] However, the bill's plenary discussion was postponed for 6 months in order to organize discussions on the matter and to inform legislators on the subject before a vote.[242] On 31 January 2017, Congress rejected the bill, in a 15–4 vote with 4 abstentions. The bill proposed by PAN was supported by both the PRD and PAN, but was opposed by the PRI.[243]

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, PRD and the Labor Party, pro-same-sex marriage parties, winning the majority of legislative seats in Durango.[42][244]

Amparos

• In December 2013, the first same-sex male couple was able to marry in Durango after obtaining an injunction. It was appealed, and the Supreme Court later ruled in favor of the couple.[245]
• On 13 November 2014, it was announced that 18 people had filed an injunction in Durango against the Civil Code.[246] A first hearing was scheduled for 27 November 2014.[247] The State Congress argued against the injunction, stating that challenges to the Civil Code had to be made within 30 days of it being enacted, thus the plaintiffs were 66 years too late. Activists then escalated the injunction request to the Supreme Court.[248][249]
• On 1 April 2015, it was announced that the 18 couples had hit another setback when the state claimed they could not seek an injunction because their residency was questioned. The couples reiterated their intention to file a case before the Mexican Supreme Court.[250]

In response to the first amparo approval, on 21 February 2014, the PRD introduced a bill to Congress to amend the Guanajuato Civil Code so as to allow same-sex marriages.[251] The plan was endorsed by the PRI on 26 February 2014.[252] A detailed plan to move the initiatives forward was presented on 19 January 2015.[253] On 13 April 2015, the Justice Committee, with a majority from the state's ruling PAN party, voted 3–2 to shelve both bills citing PAN's objection to same-sex unions.[254]

On 29 April 2016, the Guanajuato City Council unanimously passed a resolution allowing a lesbian couple to marry in the municipality. Additionally, they urged Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez to change the Civil Code to allow for same-sex marriages.[255] In October 2018, PRD Deputy Isidoro Bazaldúa Lugo introduced a same-sex marriage bill to Congress.[256]

Guanajuato is one of four states without same-sex marriage where pro-same-sex marriage parties do not have a majority of legislative seats in 2019.

Amparos

• On 2 September 2013, a lesbian couple was denied the right to marry by the Civil Registry. The couple appealed the decision in federal court. The Civil Registry argued that article 72 of the Rules of the Civil Registry defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, whereas the couple's attorneys argued that the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. On 18 September 2013, the judge approved the couple's amparo.[257] On 19 March 2014, the couple became the first same-sex couple to marry in the state.[258][259]
• On 4 March 2014, PRI Deputy Guillermo Romo Méndez agreed to assist a group of 45 same-sex couples in submitting individual amparos to register their marriages in the state. 33 couples came from León, while the remaining 12 came from Silao. 40 of them were male same-sex couples and 5 of them were lesbian couples.[260]
• On 19 March 2014, a collective injunction was filed for 30 couples in León.[261]
• On 3 July 2014, a male same-sex couple were denied a marriage license by the civil registry of León and filed for an injunction.
• On 16 September 2014, it was announced by the Human Development and Sexuality A.C. (Spanish: Desarrollo Humano y Sexualidad A.C.) in Irapuato that a collective amparo of 320 people was to be filed.[262]
• On 25 November 2014, a First District judge ruled in favor of the amparo filed on 3 July, and no appeal was filed by the state. The couple married in January 2015.[263][264]
• In April 2016, the Civil Registry announced they had already married nine same-sex couples in the state.[265]
• On 27 May 2016, a federal judge granted an amparo to a same-sex couple, and ruled it is discriminatory to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.[266]
• Guanajuato's tenth same-sex marriage amparo was granted to a same-sex couple from Salamanca in August 2016.[267]
• In November 2016, two women who had been granted an amparo were united in marriage in Irapuato. From August to November 2016, fifteen amparos against the state's same-sex marriage ban were issued.[268]
• By May 2018, 43 amparos had been granted in the state.[269]

In 2008, an initiative for the legalization of civil unions was launched in México, but never advanced. In 2010, a citizen's initiative to legalize same-sex marriage was presented to Congress. After 3 years, it had not been reviewed and thus in mid-2013 PRD Deputy Octavio Martínez introduced a same-sex marriage bill.[270] In January 2014, Martínez said that the PRD would continue to press for same-sex marriage and insisted that it be discussed by Congress.[271] In January 2015, Israfil Filós Real, president of the Vulnerable Groups Civil Association (Spanish: Grupos Vulnerables Asociación Civil), called on the state Congress to act on the same-sex marriage proposal.[272][273] Consequently, the state Governor submitted a new marriage bill, while PRD submitted a proposal to legalize same-sex adoption on 5 March 2015.[274] A Congress session for the possible approval of the Governor's same-sex marriage bill was scheduled for 31 May 2016.[275] However, two political parties, PAN and New Alliance, requested more time to study the proposal.[276] José Manzur Quiroga, Secretary General of the State Government, announced that the bill may be voted upon during Congress' next extraordinary session, though no vote has taken place as of May 2019.

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats in México.[42]

Amparos

• On 15 February 2013, four same-sex couples filed documents to marry at the Civil Registry of Toluca and after their refusal, filed for an amparo.[277] On 24 June 2013, a federal judge granted the injunction ruling that the Civil Code of the state prohibiting their marriages was discriminatory, but the state filed an appeal. The appellate Court on Administrative Matters of the Second Circuit in the State declared itself unable to resolve the dispute in January 2014, whereupon it was escalated to the Supreme Court.[278] Disposition of the case was set for 6 November 2014, however, the judge postponed the decision for an additional ten days.[279] On 25 February 2015, the Supreme Court granted the injunction, and declared the Civil Code of the State to be unconstitutional and discriminatory, and contrary to international treaties Mexico has signed.[280] A lesbian couple became the first same-sex couple to marry in the state on 18 April 2015.[281]
• Two more amparos were granted in Toluca in late October 2017.[282] One of the two couples married in December 2017, making them the first male couple to marry in the state.[283]
• By December 2017, six same-sex couples had been granted injunctions to marry.[283]

In January 2013, the Family Code of the state of Sinaloa was changed to limit marriage or cohabitation to couples consisting of a man and a woman. Three injunctions were filed to contest the changes, but two were dismissed.[284] On 2 September 2014, Deputy Sandra Lara launched an initiative to amend articles 40 and 165 of the Family Code and allow for same-sex marriage in the state.[285] On 7 October 2014, the first reading of the proposal occurred.[286] On 5 November 2014, the Social Encounter Party (PES) introduced an initiative into the Sinaloan Congress to prevent same-sex couples from adopting children.[287] In February 2015, the conservative National Action Party (PAN) introduced a civil union bill which would have banned children of same-sex partners from residing with their same-sex parents.[288]

On 14 April 2016, a prominent member of Sinaloa's Congress stated that the Congress would modify the Family Code to legalize same-sex marriage, but did not give any indication of when that would happen.[289] On 24 May 2016, the president of the Political Coordination Board of Sinaloa's State Congress announced that the bill allowing for same-sex marriage to be legal would be voted upon in the upcoming days, though no vote happened.[290] In July 2017, PAN and the New Alliance Party of Sinaloa announced their support for same-sex marriages.[291] According to a September 2017 poll, 57% of Sinaloans supported same-sex marriage.[292] The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats in Sinaloa.[42][293]

On 25 November 2016, the Mexican Supreme Court issued its fifth resolution against Sinaloa's same-sex marriage ban. The Court declared the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, void and inoperable. According to local LGBT activists however, state authorities have been deliberately delaying the legalization of same-sex marriage.[294] On 15 May 2018, following approximately 17 months of delay, the Supreme Court ordered the state to legalize same-sex marriage or face unspecified consequences. The Court ordered the state Congress to modify Article 44 of the Civil Code to legalize same-sex marriage within 90 days.[295][296] However, that deadline also passed without the state legalizing same-sex marriage.

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats in Sinaloa. However, on 19 June 2019, Congress rejected proposed same-sex marriage legislation by 20 to 18, including six legislators from MORENA voting against. The party has begun proceedings to expel the six members.[297] Another vote on the bill is planned for early 2020, amid the possibility that legislators will be jailed should they refuse to comply with the court's orders.[298]

Amparos

• On 12 July 2013, Seventh District Judge Teddy Abraham Torres López, of Los Mochis, granted an injunction, ruling that the Congress of the state must comply with its obligations of equality and non-discrimination.[299] The case was elevated to the Supreme Court, which on 15 April 2015 ruled against the state's Family Code citing discrimination.[300][301]
• On 24 September 2014,[302] the Supreme Court granted 3 injunctions sought in Culiacán and declared Articles 40 and 165 of the Civil Code unconstitutional.[303]
• In mid-October 2014, 70 people from Mazatlán applied for an injunction in the Ninth District Court.[304]
• On 23 November 2014, it was announced that for the first time, the Supreme Court had extended concubinage to same-sex couples in response to an injunction requested by a lesbian couple.[305]
• In March 2016, the First Chamber of the Mexican Supreme Court declared Articles 40 and 165 of the Family Code unconstitutional when it ruled against the state in two appeals Congress had filed against earlier verdicts in favor of several same-sex couples. The Supreme Court warned the state that if they did not modify the law then the Court would take measures similar to Jalisco's if it approved enough injunctions to create jurisprudence.[306]
• An amparo was granted to a male same-sex couple from El Fuerte in January 2017.[307]

Same-sex couples could marry only with the assistance of an amparo (court order) until 11 May 2016, when the Director of the State Civil Registry, Martha Julissa Bojórquez Castillo, announced that same-sex couples could begin marrying in the state without the need for an amparo.[308] However, on 18 May 2016, the Governor ordered all civil registries in the state to retain the existing statutory ban on same-sex marriage and only provide same-sex couples with marriage certificates if they successfully receive an amparo.

In September 2017, all political parties in the state agreed to begin analyzing a proposed same-sex marriage bill. The bill's main sponsor said he was hopeful it would be accepted.[309]

The July 2018 elections resulted in pro-same-sex marriage parties winning a majority of legislative seats in Sonora.[42]

After Mexico City's Legislative Assembly legalized same-sex marriages and LGBT adoption in December 2009, debate resurged in states where civil unions had been previously proposed. In 2009, in the southeastern state of Tabasco, 20 same-sex couples sent a motion to the state Congress, asking it to allow them to marry.[310] The state's largest political parties, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), announced their support for same-sex marriage in 2010.[311] Despite the support of political parties, there was no legislative will to change the law, so in April 2014 an initiative to reform Article 154 of the Civil Code of the State of Tabasco and legalize same-sex marriage was presented by the organization Tabasco Unites for Diversity and Sexual Health (Spanish: Tabasqueños Unidos por la Diversidad y la Salud Sexual; Tudyssex).[312] PRD submitted its own same-sex marriage and adoption bill on 3 July 2015.[313][314] On 18 May 2016, a member of the State Congress announced that there was consensus in Congress to approve the bill submitted by the PRD,[315] but no bill has been passed as of May 2019.

The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, a pro-same-sex marriage party, winning the majority of legislative seats and the governorship.[42]

Amparos

• On 18 February 2015, a local newspaper announced that the first same-sex marriage had occurred on 13 February after a legal appeal to the Supreme Court.[316]
• By May 2017, ten same-sex couples had married in Tabasco.[317]

In 2011, a bill to provide "coexistence" for same-sex couples was promoted by local organizations in Tamaulipas.[318] In 2012, organizers presented legislators with 25,000 signatures in favor of same-sex marriage.[319] In 2013, the PRD agreed to bring the issue to the Congress of Tamaulipas and support the proposal.[320] In June 2015, Deputy Olga Sosa Ruiz confirmed that the Congress of Tamaulipas was working on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. She stated that the reform is complex as they are attempting to remove all discriminatory terms and are working with the Gender Equality Commission. She predicted that the law would be passed within the next legislative session,[321] though no bill has passed as of May 2019.

In September 2018, the Supreme Court began proceedings against Tamaulipas' same-sex marriage ban.[322] On 16 November 2018, the Court issued its fifth resolution against Tamaulipas, declaring the state's marriage ban unconstitutional and ordering the state to modify it within 180 business days.[323]

Tamaulipas is one of four states without same-sex marriage where pro-same-sex marriage parties do not have a majority of legislative seats in 2019.

Amparos

• On 26 June 2014, 57 people filed a collective amparo challenging the constitutionality of the Civil Code of Tamaulipas.[324][325] They were granted the right to marry on 1 October 2014 by federal judges in both the Third District Court based in Nuevo Laredo and the Ninth District Court based in Tampico. The state filed an appeal. This was the first time that an injunction had been sought for individuals rather than just couples. Should any of the single parties wish to marry, their partners will be covered.[326] On 22 February 2017, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that the definition of marriage in the Civil Code of Tamaulipas is unconstitutional, thereby granting the injunction.[327]
• An additional 68 people had requested another collective injunction from Tampico and had their amparo approved on 26 March 2015.[328]
• On 23 May 2016, another amparo was granted to two women who successfully challenged the Civil Registry's refusal to allow them to legally marry.[329]
• In November 2016, a federal judge granted another amparo to a same-sex couple. The judge also declared Article 43 of the Regulatory Law of the Civil Registry, as well as Article 124 of the Civil Code of the State of Tamaulipas, to be unconstitutional, stating that it is obligatory that the terms of those two provisions be altered to allow for legal same-sex marriages.[330]
• In January 2017, a federal judge ordered the deputies of the State Congress to legalize same-sex marriage or be fined for 100 days.[331]
• The first same-sex marriage in Altamira was performed in December 2017.[332]
• The first same-sex marriage in Ciudad Madero took place in February 2018.[333]
• By November 2018, 19 same-sex couples had married in Tamaulipas.[323]

In March 2014, Deputy Cuauhtémoc Pola presented an initiative to introduce a partnership law for Veracruz, but no legislative action occurred.[334] In July 2014, a federal judge deemed the current marriage law of Veracruz to be discriminatory.[335] Due to lack of action on the civil union bill, Cuauhtémoc Pola introduced to Congress on 31 July 2014 an initiative to amend Article 75 of the Civil Code and legalize same-sex marriage.[336] In September 2014, Pola confirmed that the bill was still awaiting review by committees.[337] In April 2015, citing disappointment with the stalled bill, the President of Veracruz's Human Rights Committee announced his intention to hand Congress a new bill to legalize same-sex marriage.[338] In July 2016, Deputy Mónica Robles Barajas (PVEM) submitted another initiative to legalize same-sex marriage.[339] Most of these proposals have seen very little legislative progress, due to opposition from PAN.[340]

On 20 February 2017, Governor Miguel Ángel Yunes issued an executive order legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Four days later, following protests from Catholic groups, Governor Yunes repealed the order. Following the repeal of the order, LGBT activists announced they were filing a case to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.[341] On 20 July 2017, the case against the Governor and the state's same-sex marriage ban was filed before the Fourth District Court.[342] On 7 November 2017, the Court issued its ruling in the case, declaring the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.[343] Some LGBT groups had suggested that the ruling effectively legalizes same-sex marriage in the state,[344] though state officials announced that they would continue to enforce the state's marriage ban.

In September 2016, the head of Veracruz's adoption agency announced that same-sex couples may adopt children jointly in the state.[345] In April 2017, the Civil Registry of Xalapa announced its support for same-sex marriage.[346]

In July 2018, as one of their last actions before leaving office, PAN submitted a proposal to Congress to explicitly ban same-sex marriage in the state Constitution. It failed to pass, with 32 deputies in favor, 10 against and 2 absentions. It needed 33 votes to pass, thus failing by one vote.[347] The July 2018 elections resulted in MORENA, PRD and the Labor Party, pro-same-sex marriage parties, winning the majority of legislative seats and the governorship.[42]

Amparos

• In February 2014, a male same-sex couple applied for a marriage license at the Civil Registry in Heroica Veracruz. After being denied, they filed for an injunction, which was granted 22 July 2014.[348][349] Despite the approval, the registrar refused to schedule a ceremony for the couple. After presenting their injunction to the registrar in Boca del Río, the wedding was scheduled for 6 December 2014.[348] The ceremony was conducted at the Civil Registry, and it was announced that a second wedding for a lesbian couple was planned.[350]
• On 29 January 2015, it was announced that a lesbian couple had won an injunction and would be married in the state on 4 April 2015.[351] It was also announced that there were 8 other pending amparos.[352]
• On 18 June 2015, the civil registrar of the municipality of Veracruz reported that four same-sex couples had requested to marry and were denied due to prohibitions on same-sex marriage. The couples were advised to file an amparo.[353] On 16 May 2016, a local LGBT group, Comunidad Jarochos, announced that the four same-sex couples had filed an amparo.[354]
• On 26 May 2016, the injunctions of three more same-sex couples (two lesbian couples and one gay couple) were granted, taking the number of granted injunctions in the state to seven.[355]
• 18 same-sex marriages had been performed in Veracruz by August 2017.[356]

In the southeastern state of Yucatán, the local Congress overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in a 24–1 vote on 21 July 2009. The law raised heterosexual marriage and families to the constitutional level. The bill was promoted by right-wing organization Pro Yucatán Network to reject all efforts by people of the same sex to form a family and adopt children. PAN politicians justified the ban alleging that "there still aren't adequate conditions within Yucatán society to allow for unions between people of the same sex".[357] The event led to protests outside the local Congress by LGBT organizations, whose leaders were expected to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.[358]

Political party	Members	Yes	No
Institutional Revolutionary Party	14	14
National Action Party	9	9
Party of the Democratic Revolution	1		1
Labor Party / Convergence	1	1
Total	25	24	1

On 17 May 2014, a group of civil society organizations brought a legal action before the Constitutional Court of the State of Yucatán under the guise of "correcting a legislative omission." It was the first time a mechanism to correct an omission had been used in Mexico as the basis of a suit. The organizations claimed 10 injunctions had been approved in the state without legislative action. The suit asked for Articles 49 and 94 of the Family Code which limit marriage to one man and one woman to be "considered in the broadest sense and that the gender of its members be undefined."[359] On 26 February 2015, the court announced that it would decide on 2 March whether the state ban on same-sex marriage was in violation of the Constitution and international agreements.[360] On 2 March 2015, the Yucatán court dismissed the appeal for constitutional action to change the Civil Code. Supporters of amending the code vowed to appeal the decision.[361] In June 2015, they filed a lawsuit against the Yucatán court in federal court. The suit argued that the Yucatán court's decision was flawed as the Mexican Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[362] After postponing a hearing five times, the Mexican Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit on 31 May 2017.[363]

The XVII Marcha de la Diversidad Sexual Mérida, 8 June 2019

On 24 May 2016, a prominent member of the state Congress stated that Yucatán would wait for the Congress of the Union to legislate on same-sex marriage before taking the necessary steps to legalize it.[364] In September 2017, the Yucatán Congress unanimously approved a PRD-proposed bill to begin discussion on issues that had previously been neglected and not discussed, including same-sex marriage.[365] On 15 August 2018, Governor Rolando Zapata Bello introduced bills to amend the state Constitution and Family Code in order to legalize same-sex marriage.[366][367] On 10 April 2019, the state Congress rejected an amendment to repeal the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, in a 9–15 vote.[368] In response to the failure to pass legislation, the 17th Pride Parade in Mérida saw the unprecedented participation of around 8,000 people.[369][370] A second attempt at legalizing same-sex marriage failed on 15 July 2019, with 15 votes against and 9 votes in favor.[371]

Yucatán is one of four states without same-sex marriage where pro-same-sex marriage parties do not have a majority of legislative seats in 2019.

Amparos

• On 26 March 2013, a male same-sex couple asked the Civil Registry of Yucatán to marry. The Civil Registry rejected the bid saying that the State Constitution defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The couple appealed the decision of the Civil Registry and on 1 July the Third District Court recognized that they had the right to marry. Since the Civil Registry did not appeal the decision, the amparo took effect.[372]
• Four male couples and two lesbian couples went to a civil registry office on 14 August 2013 to request to be married and were denied. They applied for individual injunctions and 3 of them were approved on 4 and 15 November and 17 December 2013 by the courts in the First, Fourth and Third District, respectively. Both of the lesbian couples and one male couple were approved.[373] On 6 January 2014, the first lesbian marriage in Yucatán took place.[374] The second lesbian couple married on 25 January 2014.[375][376] On 18 February 2014, the male couple wed at the Civil Registry of Mérida.[377]
• In June 2015, a lesbian couple, who married in Yucatán in 2014 via amparo, obtained an injunction to register the birth of their son with both his mothers' names. They had attempted to register the birth six months earlier and were denied.[378]
• From January 2017 to March 2017, 15 same-sex couples married in Yucatán, compared to 16 couples who married in all of 2016.[379]