Brazil on Track for Marriage Equality

The nation's Supreme Court chief justice says same-sex couples deserve marriage licenses.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

May 14 2013 3:32 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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National marriage equality may be coming to South America's largest country as Brazil's top judge declared Tuesday that government officials issuing marriage licenses have no standing to refuse gay couples.

The edict came from the National Council of Justice, which oversees the nation's judicial system and is led by Joaquim Barbosa, the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The decision was based on a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that authorized gay couples to receive all the rights of marriage, save for the name.

Though the council's decision could be appealed to the Supreme Court, it's a strong indication that Brazil is headed in the direction of national marriage equality (several Brazilian states already offer marriage licenses to gay couples).