These two interests combine with the news that the state of Rio de Janeiro (which contains the city of the same name) has become the 11th state in Brazil to enact marriage equality.
Last year I blogged about Sao Paulo, the most populous state in the country, enacting marriage equality which had an impact on 41 million people. So far, only 11 of Brazil's 26 states have said that civil unions can be treated as civil marriages. Brazil has a population of nearly 200 million so it is very likely that it is the country which has the most number of people where marriage equality is available.In 2011, the federal Supreme Court ruled that all gay couples in Brazil should have the right to enter into civil unions but stopped short of a same-sex marriages. The ruling gave “stable” couples the right to benefits enjoyed by straight married people, relating to benefits, inheritance and tax.The decision to allow gay couples to marry is one taken by each of the 26 of the states that make up the country.In some states, same-sex couples have to apply to a court to have their civil unions converted to a marriage.Today’s decision means that 15 days after the publication of a union of a gay couple in Rio de Janeiro, they will be legally considered as married, with the agreement of a judge.
Hat/tip to Rod 2.0
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