Eighth State in Brazil Approves Gay Marriage

As American gays ponder what the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor during oral arguments later this month and ultimately in June, in other jurisdictions in the Americas equality under the civil laws continues to advance.  Now the Brazilian state of Ceará - which has a population larger than Virginia - has joined the states of Alagoas, Bahia, São Paulo, Piauí, Sergipe, Espírito Santo and the Federal District in approving full same sex marriage rights.  Here's the information passed on to me by Dutch readers of this blog in Amsterdam:

The State of Ceará (North East Coast of Brazil) has just approved a law allowing sex same marriage. Since March 06, 2013, same sex couple can officially register their relationship and directly after that they can convert their same sex registration into Marriage.  

They must present the following documents: Birth certificate, State ID, and proof that they are not married to someone else. Once they have registered their relationship,  they can apply directly at the Central Registration Office to convert their registration into marriage.

It may sound a bit complicated but the right to Civil Marriage is no longer a dream but a reality in Ceará, Brazil. Please publish this amazing good news on your blog.

Here's a link to a story in Portuguese: http://www.opovo.com.br/app/opovo/fortaleza/2013/03/08/noticiasjornalfortaleza,3018765/casais-poderao-converter-uniao-estavel-em-casamento.shtml

As I have noted numerous times on this blog and elsewhere, who would have thought in years past that the United States would be in the rear guard of those allowing religious based bigotry  to deprive citizens of their civil legal rights.  America is no longer a leader in freedom and liberty but instead, certainly in anti-gay states like Virginia, an example of what many of the original colonists sought to flee in Europe.   It is a very sad commentary on America.  The Tea Party crowd and Christofascists in their hubris believe they are superior to others, yet it is they who are the backward thinking Neanderthals.  Here's are images of Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará: