Gay rights bill stalled in Jalisco Congress

Jalisco’s gay rights movement suffered a setback on Tuesday as the State Congress’ Human Rights Commission withdrew its approval of a bill that would enhance the rights of same-sex couples.

The chairman of the legislative committee, Hugo Gaeta of the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), had submitted a proposal in favor of the Ley de Libre Convivencia, but this was withdrawn at the request of Mariana Arambula of the right-wing National Action Party (PAN) and Roberto Mendoza of the PRI, who sought to further analyze the bill and consider possible changes in light of a forum held on discuss the law on Tuesday.

Any congressional vote will now be postponed until the committee reiterates its support for the bill. Introduced by the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), the bill would provide same sex-couples with inheritance rights and social security benefits, but would not grant them the right to marry or adopt children.

The bill has already met the approval of the State Congress’ PRI-led Human Development Commission, but was rejected by another PAN-controlled constitutional committee. The Gender Equality Commission controlled by the leftist Citizens Movement has yet to vote on the legislation.

Governor Aristoteles Sandoval backed the bill on Tuesday, declaring, “I am in favor of respecting the individual rights and freedoms of every person to decide who they want to have a relationship with and live under the same roof with.” These rights must be “legally guaranteed,” Sandoval added, although he declined to back gay and lesbian couples’ rights to wed or adopt.