President’s marriage equality bid fails in Mexico

An attempt by Mexico’s president to legalise same-sex marriage has been thwarted by conservative lawmakers.

On Wednesday, a congressional committee voted to reject the proposed legislation which would have made marriage equality a reality across the nation.

President Enrique Peña Nieto had introduced the bill in May to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.

Same-sex marriage was legalised by Mexico’s Supreme Court in June after it ruled that state bans on marriage equality are unconstitutional, but this has not been rolled out across the country and has instead been left to each state to effect.

The law in most of the 31 states has still not been amended and same-sex couples who wish to marry in some states need to individually petition the courts to do so; a long and costly exercise.

Currently 10 states or territories, including Mexico City, offer same-sex marriage rights, encompassing around 29% of the population.

President Nieto’s bill was hugely controversial and led to massive demonstrations across Mexico, for and against marriage equality.

In September, Pope Francis joined the country’s Catholic leaders in campaigning against the legislation.