LA Times Article: Mexico City Is More Progressive Than The United States In Relation To Gay Marriage!
Mexico City’s gay marriage law still igniting debate
A Catholic cardinal accuses the nation’s Supreme Court, which this month reaffirmed the law, of being on the take.
HENRY ROMERO, REUTERS
But reaching this point has left casualties along the way.
For President Felipe Calderon and his conservative National Action Party, the decision to challenge Mexico City’s same-sex marriage law backfired. Not only did the 11-member court reaffirm the law, but the wording of its rulings could make it more difficult for states to mount challenges.
Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, archbishop of Guadalajara and one of the most senior prelates in the nation, in recent days made especially harsh comments widely seen here as offensive. His statement set off a firestorm in a country where, by law, the church is not supposed to get involved in politics.
Calling same-sex unions an “aberration,” he said, “Would you want to be adopted by a pair of faggots or lesbians?”
He went on to accuse Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, of bribing the justices to force them to go along with gay marriage.
“I don’t think the judges would arrive at such absurd conclusions, against the sentiment of the Mexican public, without there being very big motives,” Sandoval said, “and the very big motive may be the money that they are given.”
The comments stunned many in Mexico. Ebrard demanded a retraction and threatened to sue. The court, which had included dissenters in the votes on same-sex issues, was unanimous in censuring the cardinal.
But Sandoval did not back down. He received the support of the archdiocese of Mexico City and, when asked whether he had proof of his accusations, added, “Check their bank accounts.”
Such comments are virtually unheard of here, and some analysts suggested church authorities may feel emboldened by their closeness with the ruling PAN. Yet Sandoval’s reaction was too much even for some members of the party, who said that ultimately the court’s decision must be respected.
“There was a tone and content of intolerance [in Sandoval’s comments] that are totally incongruous with what should be the attitude of the Catholic Church,” television commentator Gabriel Guerra said. Besides, he added, “if Ebrard were really able to co-opt 11 members of the Supreme Court, he’d deserve a prize for efficiency.”
It did not seem likely there would be a rush on adoptions by gay couples. Single men and women were already allowed to adopt, so gays in theory could have gotten around any proscriptions before now. And only about 320 same-sex couples have tied the knot in Mexico City since the law went into effect in March.
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