Conservative lawmakers in Costa Rica
are attempting to block a ruling legalizing same-sex marriage from
taking effect on Tuesday.
Costa Rica's constitutional court in
2018 struck down the nation's ban on gay and lesbian couples
marrying. The court's majority opinion gave lawmakers 18 months to
change the law. Otherwise its ruling would take effect on May 26 of
this year.
President Carlos Alvarado Quesada
welcomed the ruling, saying at the time that he wants to guarantee
“no person will face discrimination for their sexual orientation.”
The high court said that it was bound
by a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) which
called for marriage equality in over 20 Latin American countries
under its jurisdiction, including Costa Rica.
According to Reuters, more than 20
conservative lawmakers on Tuesday attempted to delay the ruling
another 18 months, arguing that other issues, including the
coronavirus pandemic, had kept legislators from reviewing the
decision.
Enrique Sanchez, Costa Rica's first
openly gay congressman, called the push “a shameful spectacle.”
Sanchez said that there was little
chance that conservatives would prevail in delaying implementation of
the court's order.
“It gives me peace of mind that this
will possibly die from tomorrow, and there will be no going back,”
Sanchez said.
A poll conducted in 2018 by the
University of Costa Rica showed low support (30%) for marriage
equality among Costa Ricans.