Gay marriage gets its day in Argentina’s high court
BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s Supreme Court has taken up the issue of same-sex marriage, just hours after a lower court blocked what was planned to be Latin America’s first legal wedding of two men, a justice said Tuesday.
“The court will be ruling on the issue because it already has been considering a case, which is not that of these two young men,” one of the justices, Carlos Fayt, told reporters. He did not give further details on the case being considered.
An Argentine judge on Monday blocked Latin America’s first gay marriage, overturning an earlier appeal on the eve of the wedding and saying the Supreme Court must decide on its constitutionality.
A November 13 ruling by Judge Gabriela Seijas ordered the civil registry to make official the marriage of Alejandro Freyre, 39, and Jose Maria Di Bello, 41, who had been denied their request because they were both men.
Alejandro Freyre(R) and Jose Maria Di Bello
This had been due to happen on Tuesday, but in a last-minute ruling a second judge, Martha Gomez Alsina, put the ceremony indefinitely on hold pending resolution of an appeal by the Supreme Court.
She stressed that there was no discrimination involved and that same-sex couples here do have the right to celebrate civil unions.
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