State official calls for cities to provide gay marriage licenses

A state official called for city recorders to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples regardless of whether they have won a legal challenge to get married.

State Civil Recorder Paloma Alegría Murrieta said based on Supreme Court and warnings made by the National Human Rights Commission, the agency has requested city recorders to facilitate these licenses in much the same way they would for heterosexual couples, without asking for any additional documents.

Since last year, the state has approved over 50 marriage licenses to gay couples. In the past four years, 178 same-sex couples had been married in Baja California, 32 of them in Mexicali. All these couples have been forced to file lawsuits in order to get married.

Murrieta told La Voz newspaper the state keeps an open and respectful posture with all those who apply for marriage licenses — principles that are legally set by Mexican courts.

“This is the posture of an administration of respect and we are only waiting for legislation to comply with our obligation,” Murrieta told the newspaper.

The recorder said although state law prohibits same-sex couples from getting married, court rulings had obligated agencies to go the other way.

According to the official, city recorders are not mandated to comply with the call to marry all couples applying, and the final decision relies on local officials.

Murrieta recalled that Mexican laws prohibit discrimination based on gender, race or religious belief.

For the last months Tijuana Recorder’s Office has approved all marriage license applications, but Mexicali’s agency has turned back requests, compelling couples to challenge the city in court.