Costa Rica: First same-sex weddings held despite pandemic

Costa Rica has become the first Central American nation to make same-sex marriage legal. Dozens of couples are taking advantage of the new law, although ceremonies must abide by coronavirus social distancing rules.

The first same-sex weddings in Costa Rica went ahead early Tuesday after a landmark marriage equality ruling came into effect at midnight. 

Ceremonies were small and largely performed in private, in line with coronavirus restrictions, although some were broadcast online or even on state television. 

Daritza Araya and Alexandra Quiros were the first couple to tie the knot in the early hours of the morning. Almost 20,000 people watched their outdoor service live on Facebook, as a notary wearing a face mask pronounced them "wife and wife." 

Activist Marco Castillo, who has campaigned for marriage equality for years, also wed his longtime partner in a ceremony watched by hundreds of viewers online.  

"This is a step in social equality. The fact that Rodrigo and I are able to come marry each other in a court is progress,'' Castillo said. "This drives us to continue other fights for those who have a different sexual orientation.'' 

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Landmark verdict 

The law change is the result of a Supreme Court ruling in August 2018, which found that Costa Rica’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The court gave lawmakers 18 months to change the provision, or it would automatically be annulled.  

President Carlos Alvarado, who was elected in May 2018 after pledging to legalize same-sex marriage, said the change would "cause a significant social and cultural transformation of the country."  

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Enrique Sanchez, Costa Rica's first openly gay congressman, paid tribute to activists who had spent years campaigning. "With their experience, their struggles ... they have helped build a society where there are no second-class families or second-rate people," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 

Gay marriage is already legal in a number of South American countries, including Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil, despite strong opposition from some religious groups. Predominantly Catholic Costa Rica is the first country in Central America to take the step.  

nm/msh (AP, Reuters, dpa)