Mar 11, 2010, 20:58 GMT
Mexico City - Five same-sex couples got married Thursday in Mexico City in the first such weddings ever held in the country.
Civil Registry director Hegel Cortes described the ceremony at the Old Mayoral Palace in the city's historic centre as an 'historic event.'
Although the first same-sex wedding in Latin America was held in Argentina in December, Mexico City is the only city in the region in which marriage between people of the same gender is recognized by the Civil Code. The relevant reforms were approved in December and went into force on March 4.
Two gay couples and three lesbian couples got married Thursday, in the presence of Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard. Demonstrators for and against same-sex marriage gathered before the building.
The five couples are now entitled to the same rights and obligations of heterosexual married couples, including the right to adopt children. Adoption was one of the most controversial issues surrounding the debate on same-sex marriage in Mexico City.
In January, the Attorney General's Office filed a formal complaint before the country's Supreme Court of Justice, arguing that these wedding are unconstitutional. Mexico's highest tribunal has yet to rule on the issue, but the weddings that take place until then will in any case be valid.
The issue is likely to prompt further legal battles over spousal benefits and other matters.
Until Thursday, 41 same-sex couples had initiated proceedings to get married before Mexico City courts. Of these, 22 couples are male and 19 are female, according to the city government.
Your Talkback on this Story