Two women contracted marriage early this Tuesday in Costa Rica, which became the first Central American country in accepting equal marriage, Although the date did not have the celebrations expected by the covid-19 pandemic.
The entry into force was received with a transmission on public television and social networks that reviewed the history of the struggle for rights of the sexually diverse population.
Moments after it went into effect, Dunia Araya and Alexandra Quiros they became the first couple of the same sex in to get married in Costa Rica.
Dressed in white, the two young women married in the town of San Isidro de Heredia, 14 km northwest of Saint Joseph, before a notary public protected with mouthguards, as part of measures to prevent covid-19.
Costa Rica It is the eighth country in the American continent to accept the equality marriage, the first in Central America and the 29th in the world.
“LGBTIQ people seek a space for the recognition and dignity that any human being deserves, regardless of who they are or who they love. They are people who, when they decide to get married, will for love, for stability and because they have a future project, “commented the Costa Rican president, Carlos Alvarado, in the transmission.
The acceptance of these marriages was the result of a ruling by the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of 2018, which declared unconstitutional a provision of the Family Code that prohibited marriages between people of same sex.
In the ruling, the constitutional chamber gave the Legislative Assembly (parliament) a period of 18 months to legislate in this regard and, in case of not doing so, the provision would be annulled on May 26, as it happened.
The decision of the constitutional chamber was given in response to an advisory opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human rights, that in January 2018 determined that gay couples have the same marriage rights than heterosexuals.
In the transmission, organized by the Yes I accept campaign Costa RicaDozens of greetings from international personalities were presented, such as the Spanish singer Monica Naranjo, who announced that the legal change “will cause other countries on the continent to follow it.”
“Congratulations Costa Rica, the world’s eyes are on you, “said US activist Evan Wolfson of the Freedom to Marry organization.
“A sad day for Costa Rica”
Greetings came from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Mexican singer Lila Downs, the Argentine actress Cecilia Roth and the first gay couples they got married in Holland and Argentina.
The broadcast also reviewed the historical struggle for the rights of the sexually diverse population, including the persecution that the community suffered in the 80s.
The activist Ana Vega, owner of La Avispa, the most traditional San José gay bar, He recalled the times that his premises suffered police raids to prevent parties from the sexually diverse community.
But while the LGBTI community celebrated, the evangelical deputy Nidia Céspedes rejected the legal change and assured that it is “a sad day for the traditional Costa Rican family “.
“The entry into force of equal marriage strikes the soul of generations of Costa Ricans, who laid the foundations of a great country attached to family and life,” said Cespedes in a video released on his social networks.
The evangelical legislators They made several attempts to stop the legal change, but did not gather the support required for parliament to ask the Supreme Court of Justice a postponement in the measure.
President Alvarado commented in a recent interview with. that the moment is propitious for the population to accept regardless of the differences.
“It is so important the inclusion of people from the LGBTI community like validating that we can have different religious beliefs, practice them freely, and all coexist without hurting each other, “Alvarado said. (https://www.explica.co/costa-rica-is-the-first-central-american-country-to-accept-equal-marriage/)
