Brazil Court Grants Gay Couples Same Rights as Heterosexuals

[Miss Philicia]

A significant development seeing that Brazil has a population of almost 200 million people.

source

Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that homosexual partners can form a civil union, enjoying the same legal rights as heterosexuals, according to a statement on the court’s website.

After a two-day deliberation, 10 judges voted to recognize that gays in a stable relationship enjoy property, health insurance, pension, and all other legal rights, the statement said. Judge Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli recused himself from the case because he had worked on it as attorney general, said a spokesman for the court, who declined to be identified, citing internal rules.

The court voted on two cases, one from Rio de Janeiro state and another from the federal prosecutor’s office. The attorney general’s office supported the extension of rights on human rights grounds. The national confederation of Brazilian bishops opposed granting rights to gay couples, saying the constitution mentioned specifically couples constituted by men and women.

Argentina last year became the first Latin American country to approve gay marriage, and Mexico’s Supreme Court in August upheld a 2009 Mexico City law allowing gays to marry. Gay couples in Colombia also enjoy pension, social security and property rights.

[Jody]

Great news from South America, but unfortunately I was just reading a few days ago that New Hampshire and Iowa had conservative politicians dedicated to over turning state court decisions granting equal rights to gay couples and this can be done, most regretably, by granting voters the right to vote on referendums regarding gay rights issues such as same sex marriage and civil unions.

Jody

[Rev. Moon]

Great news for Brazil, Philicia.  Now we can definitely retire down there and marry a couple of gorgeous Cariocas.

[tednlou2]

Good news!  I hoping for the best here in the case the lawyers for both Bush and Gore plan to take all the way to the Supreme Court.    

What do ya'll think about voters electing state supreme court judges as they do in Iowa and other states?  I've never liked the idea of judges being elected, because they really are politicans then and often rule in ways they know will get them re-elected.  

[LM]

Let me say: I'm very, VERY happy. I'm Brazilian and it was about time. Unfortunately, our congressmen are afraid of voting laws that favor homossexuals, so it was up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the constitution allowed them to have the same rights as straight couples. Luckily, these judges are very bright people, and as one of them said, with this decision, Brazil joins the group of the most "socially advanced nations".

The next step is to approve a law that prohibits discrimination against homossexuals, and that should come soon.

[next2u]

thanks for posting this miss p. when we going down to brazil to get us some husbands? ~