The Mexican Supreme Court ruled Friday that adoption should be in the best interests of the children, regardless of the sexual orientation or relationship status of the prospective parent(s).
The Court wrote, in an opinion binding on all the country’s courts:
The fundamental point to consider in an adoption is the best interests of the child or adolescent, with the intention that s/he forms or be integrated into a family in which s/he will receive affection, care, education and appropriate conditions for their development, rights all inherent in his/her person. The suitability of persons to be considered for adoption should only relate to the possibility of providing care and protection to the minor, to include him/her in a family, and can not attend, in any way, to belonging to a type of family, a type of marital status (single, married, cohabiting in domestic partnership), or a certain sexual orientation.
[El punto fundamental a considerar en una adopción es el interés superior del niño, niña o adolescente, con la intención de que éste forme o se integre en una familia en la cual reciba afecto, cuidados, educación y condiciones adecuadas para su desarrollo, derechos todos inherentes a su persona. La idoneidad de las personas para ser consideradas para adoptar debe atender únicamente a la posibilidad de brindar cuidado y protección al menor de edad, para incluirlo a una familia, y no puede atender, de manera alguna, a la pertenencia a un tipo de familia por un tipo de estado civil (soltero, casado, en concubinato, en sociedad de convivencia), ni por cierta orientación sexual.]
Same-sex couples may marry in Mexico City and 10 states, and may do so anywhere in the country if they spend the time and money to file for an injunction, as journalist Rex Wockner explains at his blog. President Enrique Peña Nieto has proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow same-sex couples to marry more easily nationwide—but this prompted a march of at least 80,000 people yesterday in protest.
Still, the news on adoption is a welcome step forward. Let’s hope full marriage equality comes to the country soon so that all families may be as recognized as they want to be.