Here’s the latest from Jesus Chairez:
MÉXICO CITY — I went to my first lesbian wedding ever last month … and it happened here in México City. The women getting married weren’t Mexican, or even Latina, but gringas. The very gay wedding of Cristina Potters and Judith McKnight (center) was held in their charming apartment in México City’s chic neighborhood Col. Condesa on July 22.
What struck me as fascinating was the guest list. Those who came to see included México City’s first lesbian couple to marry, Lol Kin Castañeda Badillo (left) and Judith Vázquez Arreola (right), who wed when México City’s same-sex marriage law took effect on March 4, 2010.
So I wondered: How do two retired, mature, easy-going, non-political American ladies living in México City meet two of México’s A-list lesbian activists?
Facebook!
What a lot of people don’t know is that any GLBT Mexican couple residing in any state in the Republic of México marries in México City and returns home to their state of residence, that state has to honor that marriage: Neither individual states, nor the people, get to vote on whether to “accept” or recognize LGBT marriages held in México City … something that should also be valued in the U.S.
Jesús Chairez is a gay Latino activist and freelance writer; former producer and host of U.S.’s first gayLatino show, Sin Fronteras (Without Borders), on KNON 89.3 FM. Chairez resides between Dallas and México City and may be reached at chairezstudio@gmail.com.
To see more pictures of the wedding, please go to my Flickr page: la Boda de Judy y Cristina.
ooops: Here is the link to more wedding pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chairezstudio/sets/72157627162552559/
Cristina Potters is a great lady. She is well known for her specialty guided tours in Mexico, including hands-on culinary adventure tours, extraordinary tours to the homes of artists and artisans, and off-the-tourist-track adventures in the city of Guadalajara and the state of Michoacán. By all means contact this lovely lesbian couple when you’re ready for a Mexico you scarcely knew existed: https://mexicocooks.typepad.com/
Jesús wrote “What a lot of people don’t know is that any GLBT Mexican couple residing in any state in the Republic of México marries in México City and returns home to their state of residence, that state has to honor that marriage:”
That give the impression that any same-gender couple in México can just trip over to Mexico City and get married. That’s not the way it works. To get a marriage license, the couple must show proof of residence in Mexico City.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe a “comprobante de domicilio” (Proof of Residence) may be easily borrowed from a friend in the DF.
This is true Judith: I know of people, and have spoken with them, that they borrow a friends telephone receipt, say Tel-Mex, and say, I live there: doesn’t have to be in their name. Even the office of Immigration in Mexico accepts proof of residence from foreigners, even if the telephone receipt is not even in ones name. Once things are complete – “they move.”
Mexico City and the State of Coahuila are the only places in Mexico where Gay Marriage is legal, do I stand Correct?
Dear Preppystudent: You are correct, Coahulia was not mentioned since I was writing about an event in Mexico City. Coahulia touches the border of Texas and when gay marriage was first allowed in Coahulia, it was first thought LGBT Texas would cross over to marry, but that didn’t happen.
With all due respect, Coahuila has not legalized gay marriage within the state. They do allow civil unions, which carry some but not all of the rights and privileges of marriage. Same-gender marriage can only be performed in the Distrito Federal. However, same-sex marriages performed in the Distrito Federal are recognized everywhere in Mexico. Watch for this Saturday’s article on Mexico Cooks! for more information.