Wedding bells

Costa Rica welcomes marriage equality

With pride month mere days away, Costa Rica has become the first nation in Central America to recognize same-sex marriages.

The move comes after almost two years of infighting, following a landmark court ruling that pushed for legislators to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. The constitutional court ruled in 2018 that a standing ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional, and ordered the parliament to re-legislate the issue within 18 months. When parliament failed to do so, marriage equality became the law of the land.

Related: Costa Rica Accidentally Approves Gay Marriage, President Supported

“Today we celebrate freedom, equality and democratic institutions. May empathy and love be the compass that allows us to get ahead and build a country where all the people fit,” Costa Rican President Carlos Quesada said via Twitter.

Daritza Araya and Alexandra Qu Castillo, a lesbian couple, married just moments after the new law took effect at midnight May 26. The pair married in San Isidro de Heredia. Other marriage ceremonies have moved online as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

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