Over 100 same-sex couples get married at mass wedding ceremony in Mexico

Over a hundred same-sex couples tied the knot  in a group ceremony that was both romantic and political as part of Mexico City’s gay pride celebrations month.Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal sex. As of 2024, marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 37 countries, with a total population of 1.5 billion people (20% of the world's population).

Greece: On February 15, 2024, Greece’s Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage, making it the first Christian Orthodox majority country to do so. The same vote also legalized same-sex adoptions1

Estonia

Estonia: Estonia’s parliament voted in favor of marriage equality on June 20, 2023, becoming the first post-Soviet Union country to legalize same-sex marriage. The law went into effect on January 1, 20241.

Cuba, Andorra, and Slovenia also legalized marriage equality in 20221.

South Africa is the only country in Africa, and Taiwan is the only country in Asia, where same-sex marriage is legal2. Overall, these developments reflect growing acceptance and progress toward equality for LGBTQ+ couples globally

According to reports, 147 couples expressed their commitment to one another in a heartwarming gathering, epitomizing their years-long fight for equal rights

The ceremony started with a concert by the Gay Choir of Mexico City, followed by a civil ritual to exchange vows and formalize the marriage

“I told myself that today is just a normal day,” groom Ricardo Mercado said. “But I do feel the nervousness and emotion, this nice feeling especially, with all the community here united, you feel a nice energy.”

Mexico City, the capital city of Mexico, was in the global vanguard regarding same-sex marriage. The metropolis legalized such unions back in 2009.

Mass same-sex weddings are part of an annual ceremony that takes place during Pride Month in the city.

In 2023, hundreds of same-sex couples and transgender people in Mexico City celebrated weddings and the completion of administrative processes to change their gender.

That year, some 120 couples met the requirements to get married under the slogan “Hand in hand, we march with pride,” the city government said in a statement.

In 2022, the ceremony took place for the first time in two years, after being cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A large wedding cake topped with rainbow frosting was shared.The ceremony, funded by local government, provides an economical way for couples to get married.