Gay Marriage in Colombia?

Marchers during this year's gay pride parade wave signs demanding equal rights from the court. 

Colombia's Constitutional Court is to rule by July 22 on whether or not same-sex couples should be able to marry in Colombia.

According to El Tiempo's analysis, the justices are about equally split on the matter. Advocates argue that gay marriage is a matter of equal rights, opponents that it violates religious principles and would deprive children of the right to be raised by a father and a mother.

Signs during Bogotá's 2011 gay pride parade demand equal rights for sexual minorities. 

The court already considered the issue once, last November, and ruled that the proponents should rewrite and resubmit their case. In the past, after asking rights advocates to resubmit their cases, the justices have ruled in the advocates' favor.

But is conservative, highly-Catholic Colombia ready to see two men or two women walking down the aisle? Actually, it's sort of already happened, since same-sex civil unions have existed here for several years. Of course, the Catholic Church and other religious groups will complain. But they've complained about the legalization of abortion, euthanasia and other issues, with little effect. In any case, the Catholic Church's moral standing on some of these issues is less than immaculate.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours