History-making gay marriage ending in divorce

In 2013, Javier Alberto Carrillo Esquivel and Ricardo Arturo Gongora made history in the state’s first-ever gay marriage. Photo: File

Mérida, Yucatán — When Javier Alberto Carrillo Esquivel and Ricardo Arturo Gongora tied the knot, they made history in the state for being the first same-sex partners to wed.

Now, four years later, they make history again. They’re filing for the first same-sex divorce in Yucatán.

Since 2013, Mexican Supreme Court has strongly backed marriage equality, but Mexico’s complicated legal system means couples still have to file an injunction to marry.

Walter Salazar Cano, director of the Civil Registry, said that 53 same-sex couples have formalized their relationship in Yucatán. The other 52 couples are apparently still together.

Salazar’s press conference was arranged to announce an upcoming “Formalize Your Union” program, which offers free marriage proceedings in a mass ceremony.

The last free, mass-ceremony was last November in Izamal, under a program that encourages people living together to get formally married so they can enjoy social security benefits and other advantages. Over a thousand couples exchanged vows.

Then-Gov. Rolando Zapata Bello started “Formalize Your Union” in 2013, but has never included a gay couple.

Marriage is financially out of of reach for many Yucatecans. A license is 200-400 pesos, but other fees including a prenuptial medical exam can triple that amount. The exam is also free under this program, thanks to an agreement with the Ministry of Health.

A date for the formal ceremony was not announced.

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