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 Editorials | Issues | January 2007 
Mexico Capital Residents Can Form Civil Unions in March
 El Universal
| | Demonstrators hold up a banner that reads "Italian citizens, not vatican's subjects" in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican to protest against Vatican opposition of legal status to gay couples. Some 200 people gathered in Saint Peter's Square to protest the Vatican's opposition to civil unions, which would legally recognize unmarried couples, both gay and straight. (AFP) |
Local authorities have predicted that a new civil union law will begin operating by the end of March.
The law, approved by the Mexico City Legislative Assembly in November, allows same-sex and free-union couples, along with non-immediate family members and long-time friends or roommates, to form a common household. This gives them inheritance and pension rights, as well as possible separation settlements.
In statements to EL UNIVERSAL, Mexico City Government Undersecretary Juan José García Ochoa said that city officials were currently undergoing training to learn how the new law functions.
To apply for a civil union, known in Spanish as a "sociedad de convivencia," the individuals must fill out a petition, present valid identification, birth certificates, proof of residence, witnesses and pay a 43-peso charge.
When these requirements are met, an official from the capital Civic Justice Department must check the information to ensure neither of the individuals is married or already part of a civil union.
Once verified, the civil union will be ratified in the presence of witnesses, and the members will receive an official certificate.
The entire process will take an estimated 10 working days, and the petition forms will be available on March 16.
City workers who will oversee the process are also being coached by the Mexico City Human Rights Commission to identify and refrain from any forms of discrimination.
The new law was met with opposition from conservative groups, who argued it is tantamount to allowing gay marriages. |
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