News

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

MEXICO CITY, August 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Mexican Supreme Court has issued a verdict upholding the constitutionality of a Mexico City law creating homosexual “marriage,” and will now proceed to decide if the same can be imposed on the states as a “right,” and whether or not homosexuals can be permitted to adopt children.

The decision, issued Wednesday, split the court between a small conservative faction of two justices, and eight liberal justices. The vote breakdown was similar to that in a recent decision upholding Mexico City's abortion law, which allows and even finances the killing of unborn children for the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

While the vote registered Wednesday indicates the raw verdict, it dos not give details of the reasoning, which still must be settled between the justices.  The written decision will determine how far-reaching the verdict will be.

Three of the justices within the majority faction see homosexual “marriage” as a constitutional right and would presumably extend it to all of the states by judicial decree.  However, an apparently slim majority of four affirm only that the law does not conflict with the constitution, allowing the states to decide the matter individually. The eighth judge's position is somewhat unclear with regard to the issue, merely suggesting that marriage can be defined freely by the government.

During the next two weeks the court is expected to issue verdicts on two other issues: whether or not homosexual “marriages” contracted within the nation's federal district will have legal standing in Mexico's 31 states, and whether or not homosexuals should have the right to adopt children, another provision of Mexico City's homosexual “marriage” law.

Armando Martinez, president of the Association of Catholic Attorneys, told the Associated Press that if the Supreme Court upholds homosexual adoption, “we will seek impeachment hearings against any justices that vote in favor of adoption,” because it would “directly affect the rights of children.”

A recent poll conducted by the conservative National Action Party (PAN) in the nation's capital indicated that a majority of residents (53%) are opposed to homosexual “marriage,” and an even greater majority (76%) are opposed to allowing children to be adopted by homosexuals.

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Mexican Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuits against Capital's Gay 'Marriage' Law
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022401.html

State Governors Sue Mexico City to Stop Gay “Marriage” and Homosexual Adoption
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021902.html

Mexican Attorney General's Office Files Suit against “Homosexual Marriage”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020507.html

Mexico City Approves “Homosexual Marriage” and Adoption
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/dec/09122305.html