02/20/2007
Texas Lesbians Register Civil Union in Coahuila, Mexico
Maria Carreon Lara, 39, and Amparo Maldonado, 24, of Midland, Texas became the first international couple to register for a civil union in the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico, since they became legal in January. The couple, who have been together for five years, are of Mexican descent and performed the ceremony just over the Texas border in Ciudad Acuna.
According to the Associated Press, "Nonresidents can register under the law, which provides gay couples with social benefits similar to those of married couples, if they are in Coahuila legally. It is unclear if the union will have any legal standing in the United States."
On February 1st, a pair of Mexican lesbians became the first couple to take advantage of the law.
Lesbian couple from Texas registers for civil union in Mexican border state [ap]
Posted 5:22 PM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Marriage, Mexico, News, Texas | Permalink
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You do mean Coahuila, MEXICO, right?
Posted by: Robert | Feb 20, 2007 5:53:42 PM
I do.
Posted by: andy | Feb 20, 2007 6:02:34 PM
Nope, no recognition in the Republic, sorry chiquitas. We have Kay Smarmy Hutchinson to thank for her state constitution mandated discriminatory policy for that.
The weather in Coahuila's pretty nice from what I understand and considering the amount of industry, it's been called a "mini Detroit" by the Wall Street Journal (circa 1995). Not a bad place to visit, I suppose, but I can't stomach the thought of cabrito.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Feb 20, 2007 6:36:57 PM
It must suck to take so much trouble and have it all be for nothing when you get back home.
Posted by: FanGirlHater | Feb 20, 2007 9:35:17 PM
congratulations ladies and many years of happy wedded bliss! amazing, that a third world country like mexico with a catholic church running the place will allow this, when this so called first world country is hell bent on making gays and lesbians third rate citizens.
Posted by: Luke | Feb 21, 2007 8:16:45 AM
Luke (and others), If you want to bash the Catholic Church, have at it. The Church is certainly an iviting target on many issues, but at least get your facts correct. The Church does not "run" Mexico. In fact, the Church is Consitutionally prohibited from participating in the political process. Mexico has a long history of anti-clerical laws from the general to the specific, e.g., forbidding the Church from receiving public funding for its many charitable works in that very poor country and forbidding priests to wear Roman collars in public. Cf. Argentina, until recently, required its president to be a member of the Catholic faith. Additionally, although Mexicans are overwhelmingly Catholic, they tend to have a laissez faire live-and-let-live attitude toward others (akin to the Italians and the modern Spanish). Hispanics, in general (go ahead call me on it; as a Brown person raised in a huge Hispanic family that has lived in New Mexico for four hundred years I can generalize with some knowledge about La Familia) do not condemn others as do the Fundamentalists and Evangelicals, particularly in the U.S. The deep moralistic streak that runs through politics in the U.S. is a carryover from the Fundamentalist Protestant founding of this country by religious dissidents from Western Europe. With the exception of British Catholics (perhaps because they were repressed for so long), European Catholics do not hew rigorously to the Church's line, particluarly on matters of sexual conduct. Witness the significant strides made toward gay equality in Spain and Ireland (two of the most nominally Catholic countries in the World). In addition, the Pope is not deemed infallible in his pronouncements on marriage, procreation and gay rights. The Pope is only deemed infallible when speaking "ex cathedra" on dogma, i.e., on fundamental matters of faith (e.g., the Creed). Teachings on sexuality are not dogma but merely instructional. Most Catholics know and practice the difference. E.g., Although the Church forbids contraception (not just condoms) even within marriage, nearly 98% (virutally all) of Catholic women who are sexually active practice some form of contraception (n.b., not "birth control" but conception prevention). As I said before, bash away if you so choose, but the most effective criticism is based on knowledge and facts rather than speculation and bias.
Posted by: rudy | Feb 21, 2007 9:42:21 AM
As an actual Mexican, born and raised in western Mexico, I think that I also have a bit of an insight about the influence of Catholicism on tolerance of sexual orientations.
*EVERY* instance that I've experienced, in Mexico, of bigotry towards gay people has been couched in religious language: those perverts will go to hell. Even people who are outwardly cordial towards gay people, will speak behind their back in these terms.
My family is quite unusual, for Mexico, in that we're not believers (though I was raised Catholic, all the way to 1st communion). Had my father been a devout Catholic, I might still not have come out to him. I've seen enough Mexican Catholic parental reactions to their children's homosexuality to know better.
I do see greater tolerance among younger generations... but it's probably correlated with lower rate of religious adherence.
It does not matter what came ex cathedra straight from the Pope's mouth and what didn't... in the end, it's about what the Catholic church causes its adherents to believe. Your typical Catholic man in the street does not often stop to ponder the finer points of Catholic theology.
The Catholic church in Mexico certainly (thankfully!) does not control the government, but thanks to the PAN that certainty is eroding.
Posted by: Antonio | Feb 21, 2007 3:56:17 PM
I am interested in getting more info on where the two lesbians that got married in Acuna as what steps they took and where to go. What all do you need before you go to court or wherever it is I need to go. I just dont want to go unprepared. Can you please help me with this.
Thanks
Marti
Posted by: Marti | Oct 14, 2009 4:09:30 AM