Mexico Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage in Jalisco state

(Associated Press)

January 26, 2016 - 6:11pm

State Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, speaks on a bill he plans to introduce that provides religious exemptions in the wake of last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, in Atlanta. Months after the court's decision, lawmakers in Georgia and across the U.S. are proposing laws that would give businesses and some public employees the right to refuse service for gay couples based on their religious beliefs. The bills, proposed mostly by Republicans, aren’t universally backed in the party and top employers, including Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, Porsche and UPS warn the proposals are unwelcoming and bad for business. AP/David Goldman

MEXICO CITY — Mexico's Supreme Court has struck down language in a Jalisco state law that defines marriage as between a man and woman.

The decision means Jalisco becomes the fourth jurisdiction nationwide where gay couples can automatically get married, joining Coahuila and Quintana Roo states along with Mexico City.

Last year the Supreme Court issued a ruling saying it was unconstitutional for Mexican states to bar same-sex marriage.

But that decision was considered a "jurisprudential thesis" that did not invalidate state laws, meaning couples would have to sue for the right to marry and wait for the courts to rule in each individual case.

Tuesday's ruling establishes a generalized right for same-sex couples to wed in Jalisco, which is home to the country's second-largest city, Guadalajara.

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