Same-sex marriage in Tlaxcala

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Tlaxcala since 25 December 2020. Legislation to legalise same-sex marriage passed the Congress of Tlaxcala on 8 December 2020 by a vote of 16–3, and came into force on 25 December. Tlaxcala has also recognised civil unions, which grant several of the rights and benefits of marriage, for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples since 12 January 2017.

Legal history

Background

See also: Same-sex marriage in Mexico § México Igualitario Project

The Mexican Supreme Court ruled on 12 June 2015 that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional nationwide. The court's ruling is considered a "jurisprudential thesis" and did not invalidate state laws, meaning that same-sex couples denied the right to marry would still have to seek individual amparos in court. The ruling standardized the procedures for judges and courts throughout Mexico to approve all applications for same-sex marriages and made the approval mandatory. The court based its decision on Articles 1 and 4 of the Constitution of Mexico. Article 1 of the Constitution states that "any form of discrimination, based on ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disabilities, social status, medical conditions, religion, opinions, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other form, which violates the human dignity or seeks to annul or diminish the rights and freedoms of the people, is prohibited.", while Article 4 respects matrimonial equality:^[1] "Man and woman are equal under the law. The law shall protect the organization and development of the family".^[a]

In late June 2015, 15 same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses at civil registry offices in the state, but all were rejected. With the help of the State Human Rights Commission, they filed amparos in court.^[4] On 27 November 2015, a federal court granted an amparo to one of the couples. Their marriage, which was the first same-sex marriage in Tlaxcala, took place on 18 January 2016 in Ixtenco. The amparo was only granted after the Commission had interceded on their behalf.^[5]

Legislative action

Civil unions

In February 2014, Deputy Eréndira Montiel Jiménez from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) promised to introduce a partnership bill to the Congress of Tlaxcala.^[6] The proposed legislation, introduced on 3 April 2014, outlined the legal framework for a form of coexistence "that has the purpose of marriage or concubinage".^[7] On 29 December 2016, Congress approved the coexistence bill by 18 votes to 4. Two deputies from the National Action Party (PAN) walked out in protest as the voting took place. The bill established an institution called sociedad de convivencia solidaria, which provides cohabiting same-sex and opposite-sex couples with many of the rights and obligations of marriage.^[8][9] The law was published in the official state journal on 11 January 2017, following Governor Marco Antonio Mena Rodríguez's signature, and took effect the following day.^[10]

Same-sex marriage

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage was presented to the Congress of Tlaxcala on 2 October 2009.^[11] The proposal was blocked by state lawmakers in 2010,^[12] and the state, along with officials from Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora, filed a formal court challenge to the passage of a same-sex marriage law in Mexico City.^[13] In June 2011, activists questioned why no action had been taken on the bill and were told that it was still "climbing the roster."^[14][15] Deputy María Antonieta Stankiewicz Ramírez from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) announced that a same-sex marriage bill would be debated in a Congress committee sometime in July 2016, though no vote happened.^[16] On 13 October 2017, the New Alliance Party introduced a new same-sex marriage bill to Congress.^[17]

The July 2018 elections resulted in the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and the Labor Party (PT) winning the majority of legislative seats in Congress. Both parties expressed support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in their party platforms.^[18] In October 2018, Deputy Miguel Ángel Covarrubias Cervantes from the Party of the Democratic Revolution introduced a same-sex marriage bill to Congress.^[19] The legislation was approved by a 16–3 vote on 8 December 2020.^[20] It was published in the official state journal on 24 December, following the signature of Governor Mena Rodríguez, and took effect the following day.^[21][22]

The law amended article 42 of the Civil Code to read:^[23]

• in Spanish: El matrimonio es la unión de dos personas con su pleno consentimiento, que tiene como objeto realizar la comunidad de vida, en donde ambas se procuran respeto, igualdad y ayuda mutua. Debe celebrarse ante los funcionarios que establece la ley y con todas las solemnidades que ella exige.
• (Marriage is the union of two people with their full consent, whose objective is achieving a community of life, where both partners seek respect, equality and mutual aid. Marriages must be solemnized by the officials established by law and with all the solemnities that it requires.)

Political party	Members	Yes	No	Abstain	Absent
National Regeneration Movement	12	8			4
Labor Party	3	2			1
National Action Party	2	1	1
Social Encounter Party	2		2
Party of the Democratic Revolution	2	2
Institutional Revolutionary Party	1	1
Citizens' Movement	1	1
Ecologist Green Party of Mexico	1				1
New Alliance Party	1	1
Total	25	16	3	0	6

Marriage statistics

The following table shows the number of same-sex marriages performed in Tlaxcala since 2021 as reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.^[24]

Number of marriages performed in Tlaxcala

Year	Same-sex			Opposite-sex	Total	% same-sex
	Female	Male	Total
2021	16	6	22	3,318	3,340	0.66%

Public opinion

A 2017 opinion poll conducted by Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica found that 51% of Tlaxcala residents supported same-sex marriage, while 48% were opposed.^[25]

According to a 2018 survey by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, 44% of the Tlaxcala public opposed same-sex marriage.^[26]

See also

• Same-sex marriage in Mexico
• LGBT rights in Mexico

Notes

1. In Spanish: El varón y la mujer son iguales ante la ley. Esta protegerá la organización y el desarrollo de la familia.
   In Nahuatl: Se tlakatl uan se siuatl nochi sansemej ipan tlanauatilistli. Inin kin manauis nejchikolis uan iueixka iuikaluan.^[2]
   In Otomi: Ra ñ’o̱ho ne ra be̱hñä rangutho di ge ra hmända. Nuna mädi ra mutsi ne ra te nuya mengu.^[3]

References

1. "Mexico's Constitution of 1917 with Amendments through 2015" (PDF). www.constituteproject.org. (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
2. "Tlanejneuilyotl Tlen Sentikmaseualmej, Se Tekpanali: Sesenkatsitsij Tepanitali, Nauitipaj tlaijtoli". INALI. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
3. "Ndäthot'i, hñäsümpo̱te xe̲ni hnini ga̱tho m'onda̱" (PDF). INALI. (PDF) from the original on 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
4. Santillán, Gerardo (29 June 2015). "Al menos 15 parejas del mismo sexo han pedido informes para casarse en el Registro Civil capitalino" (in Spanish). Tlaxcala, Mexico: E-Consulta Tlaxcala. from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
5. "Celebra Tlaxcala primer matrimonio igualitario" (in Spanish). Tlaxcala, Mexico: E-Consulta. 18 January 2016. from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
6. . pulsored.com.mx. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
7. Víctor Manuel Acosta Pérez. "Presentan en Tlaxcala iniciativa para crear Ley de Sociedades de Convivencia". elcuartodeguerra.com. from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
8. (in Spanish) Aprueba Congreso de Tlaxcala Ley de Sociedades de Convivencia 2019-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
9. (in Spanish) Tlaxcala séptima entidad en contar con una Ley de Sociedades en Convivencia 1 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine
10. (in Spanish) Periódico Oficial No. 2 Primera Sección, Enero 11 del 2017 2019-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
11. . comunicatedigital.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
12. "El Universal - - Tlaxcala, en contra de matrimonios gay". eluniversal.com.mx. 22 June 2013. from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
13. "Las tendencias retrogradas y ultra conservadoras de los gobiernos panistas". Pan y Circco. 25 August 2011. from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
14. "Marcha comunidad gay de Tlaxcala en demanda de ley". Animal Político. 11 June 2011. from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
15. . vanguardia.com.mx. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014.
16. Pérez, Lucía (5 July 2016). "En este mes estará lista la reforma pro matrimonios igualitarios: Stankiewicz". e-consulta.com. from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
17. "Proponen legalizar el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo en Tlaxcala" (in Spanish). from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
18. (in Spanish) Buscará Morena legislar matrimonio igualitario en Sinaloa 2018-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
19. "Propone PRD avalar matrimonio igualitario en Tlaxcala". Milenio (in Spanish). 9 October 2018. from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
20. Muñetón, Karla (8 December 2020). "Es una realidad el matrimonio igualitario en Tlaxcala; se convierte en el estado 22". El Sol de Tlaxcala. from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
21. "Oficial, ya es valido el matrimonio igualitario en Tlaxcala". El Sol de Tlaxcala. 4 February 2021. from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
22. "DECRETO No. 291, Periódico Oficial No. Extraordinario, Diciembre 24 del 2020" (PDF). Periódico Oficial del Estado de Tlaxcala (in Spanish). (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-02. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
23. "Se aprueba en Congreso la ley para matrimonio igualitario en Tlaxcala". intoleranciadiario.com (in Spanish). 8 December 2020. from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
24. "Matrimonios, Entidad y municipio de registro, Sexo, Sexo". INEGI (in Spanish). from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
25. (in Spanish) Encuesta nacional 2017 2017-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica
26. "¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay?". El Sol de México (in Spanish). 15 April 2019. from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.