Ecuador's highest court authorized same-sex marriage Wednesday in a landmark case seeking to expand LGBT rights in the South American nation.
Javier Benalcazar, left, and his partner Efrain Soria kiss as they arrive outside the Constitutional Court to hear the decision on same sex marriage, in Quito, Ecuador, on June 4, 2019QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador's highest court authorized same-sex marriage Wednesday in a landmark case seeking to expand LGBT rights in the small South American nation.
Gay rights activists holds signs that read "Equal marriage" and "Love and let love" outside of the Constitutional Court, waiting for the court's decision on gay marriage, in Quito, Ecuador on June 4, 2019.The decision by the Constitutional Court came after a lengthy legal battle waged by several couples and gay rights advocates.
With the 5-to-4 ruling, Ecuador joins a handful of Latin American nations — Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia and Uruguay — that have legalized same-sex marriage either through judicial rulings, or less frequently, legislative action. Plaintiff Efraín Soria told The Associated Press that he would immediately begin planning a wedding with his partner, Xavier Benalcázar, whom he met years ago and has been in a civil union since 2012.
Same-sex unions have been legal in Ecuador for a decade but civil partners enjoy fewer rights than married couples when it comes to inheritance and estate laws. In the ruling, the justices instructed congress to pass legislation ensuring equal treatment for all under the country's marriage law.
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