Colombia Makes It Official, Embraces Marriage Equality

Same-sex couples in Colombia are officially out of legal limbo, as the nation's high court enacts a ruling first alluded to earlier this month.

Sunnivie Brydum

Sunnivie is the managing editor of The Advocate, and an award-winning journalist whose passion is covering the politics of equality and elevating the unheard stories of our community. Originally from Colorado, she and her spouse now live in Los Angeles, along with their three fur-children: dogs Luna and Cassie Doodle, and "Meow Button" Tilly.

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Sunnivie Brydum

April 29 2016 8:24 AM EST

April 29 2016 9:36 AM EST

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Colombia's Constitutional Court on Thursday formally decided that same-sex couples in the Latin American nation have a constitutional right to legally marry.

The 6-3 ruling finalized by the high court Thursday confirms that judges and notaries may not refuse to perform marriages between same-sex couples, reports Spanish-language Colombian newspaper Semana. The ruling formalizes a provisional decision handed down earlier this month that found sexual orientation alone was not a sufficient legal reason to deny Colombian couples the right to wed. Advocates were encouraged by that provisional decision, which also dismissed an appeal by anti-equality forces.

(RELACIONADO: Cuales Son Las Diferencias Entre la Lucha LGBT en Colombia y Los EE.UU?)

In 2011, the Constitutional Court ordered the national congress to create a law establishing marriage equality by June 20, 2013. Lawmakers failed to meet this deadline, which means same-sex couples in Colombia have technically been able to legally recognize their relationships since 2013, though to do so couples were required to seek out a notary or judge to formally solemnize their commitment. Because there was no definitive policy regulating these unions, many same-sex couples were turned away by judges and notaries. Four such couples filed the lawsuit that was decided today, which determines that no judge or notary can legally refuse to marry a same-sex couple.