Costa Rica Becomes 30th Country To Legalise Gay Marriage

Costa Rica has become the 30th country in the world to allow same-sex marriage. However it is first among the seven Central American countries to do so.

The law granting marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples came into effect today after a landmark court ruling took effect.

The nation’s supreme court had overturned a ban on same-sex marriage in August 2018 and ordered parliament to pass a law in tandem with its ruling.

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It also ruled that the ban would be cancelled and same-sex marriage would be legal automatically if parliament failed to upheld it within one and a half years.

More than 20 parliamentarians who profess conservative ideals attempted to suspend the court’s order but it did not garner much support.

The new law has the backing of the country’s president Carlos Alvarado who took to his Twitter account to celebrate his country’s ascension to the league of most liberal countries.

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, gay couples cannot have an open wedding. Some jubilant couples have even opted for online ones to show how serious they are to cement their union.

Despite considerable support from much of Costa Rica’s 5 million citizens the ruling was condemned by the country’s influential Catholic church and other religious groups.

Same-sex marriage has gained momentum for the past two decades with several countries enacting laws to enable their gay citizens enjoy the same marriage benefits like their straight counterparts.

The Netherlands was the first country to legalise it followed by most European countries. United States and Canada with majority of South American countries have also legalised it.

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South Africa is the only African country to do so since fourteen years ago. Taiwan which legalised it in May last year also remains the only Asian country on the list.

SOURCE: AfricaCelebrities.com