From left,
Diversity Movement President Marco Castillo, Lorenzo Serrano and
Alberto González at the San José tribunals. Castillo and Serrano’s application
for a common law marriage was denied by a family court judge in 2014.
Alberto González at the San José tribunals. Castillo and Serrano’s application
for a common law marriage was denied by a family court judge in 2014.
Costa Rica government to prioritize bill legalizing
gay civil unions
ticotimes.net, 19/3/2015
Casa Presidencial announced Wednesday that it would
prioritize a bill legalizing common law marriage, and another providing
other legal protections for lesbian and gays couples. The
announcement followed a meeting with LGBT activists who requested action
from the Presidency Ministry on the long-delayed bills.
Despite the announcement,
the current administration has said it does not support same-sex
marriage.
The move would place the bills toward the top
of the Legislative Assembly’s priority list. The president’s office has
said it will move up the bills by the end of the week, but even that is no
guarantee that there will be discussion on them before the extraordinary
session closes at the end of April.
The common law marriage and co-habitation bills would
allow same-sex couples some of the same legal rights as heterosexual couples,
including a legally-recognized relationship and inheritance rights, among
others. Neither bill would allow same-sex couples to adopt.
Presidency Vice Minister Ana Gabriel Zuñiga
said her office was working to secure support for the bills in the
legislature. She said the co-habitation bill was currently under consideration
in the legal matters subcommittee. She did not specify the status of the second
bill, which would reform the country’s family law code.
Zuñiga clarified that the Solís administration does
not support same-sex marriage. The vice minister said that there was no
intention at this point to support a bill presented by Broad Front lawmaker
Ligia Fallas to legalize gay marriage.
Fallas’ bill would allow same-sex couples to legally
marry, adopt and choose which surname their child would take.
Marco Castillo, president of the LGBT advocacy group Diversity
Movement, called the
administration’s announcement Wednesday a step forward for LGBT rights in
Costa Rica, even if full marriage was not on the table.
Castillo said his group was uncertain whether the
bill would have the necessary votes to pass.
“We ask all who support human rights to give us their
support in this fight for the rights of same-sex couples,” Castillo said.
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