News
Suprema Corte de México reconoce el derecho de parejas del mismo sexo a Seguridad Social
Orden beneficiará a miles de personas LGBTI
La Segunda Sala de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) reconoció en su sesión del miércoles el derecho de las parejas mexicanas del mismo sexo a acceder a los beneficios del Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS), una acción que persigue la igualdad en materia jurídica, donde la población LGBTI aún no es completamente favorecida.
Este fallo convierte al artículo 130 de la actual Carta Magna mexicana, que restringía este derecho únicamente a las parejas heterosexuales, en inconstitucional, pues resulta violatorio de los derechos de la Seguridad Social, así como de los principios de no discriminación y de protección a la familia, establecidos en los artículos 1, 4 y 123 de la Constitución vigente.
A través de un comunicado, la Suprema Corte informó que sus magistrados analizaron un caso donde el IMSS había denegado la pensión de viudez a la pareja de una persona homosexual fallecida y que era un trabajador asegurado por esa institución. Así, la SCJN determinó que tal decisión resultaba discriminatoria, lo que abre el camino para la restitución de esta injusticia.
Desde noviembre de 2018, el Senado de la República había dado pasos en favor de esta iniciativa, al avalar la propuesta del ex senador y actual director del IMSS, Germán Martínez, para garantizar el derecho a la Seguridad Social a las parejas del mismo sexo.
Para Francisco Robledo Sánchez, conferencista y socio director de la Alianza por la Diversidad e Inclusión Laboral (ADIL), esta ley “salda una deuda para todo tipo de familias y, sobre todo, a cabezas económicas familiares, sin distinción de su estado civil, el sexo de su pareja y configuración familiar”.
El abogado Armando Ocampo recibe la noticia como un impulso más y un mensaje claro de igualdad sustantiva que manda la Corte al Legislativo, “ya que actualmente está pendiente por la Cámara de Diputados apruebe la reforma a la ley del IMSS para que esto sea realidad y no a golpe de mazo de justicia y en casos aislados, sino que se aplique por igual en todo el país”.
Robledo declaró al Washington Blade que en realidad las parejas homosexuales han tenido acceso a servicios de Seguridad Social desde hace años, solo que hasta ahora se formaliza con la Ley Federal. “Antes se podía realizar bajo ordenamientos administrativos que ya estaban en marcha hace 5 o 6 años. Ahora, lo que se logra es que no haya excusa o pretexto de que se puedan registrar a parejas del mismo género en todo tipo de prestaciones”.
Añadió Robledo que esta ley no solo beneficia a parejas del mismo sexo, “sino también pone en igualdad de condiciones a mujeres, e incluso, a trabajadoras del hogar, que les permite como generadoras económicas primarias, poner de beneficiarios a sus cónyuges”.
Jaime López Vela, abogado y experto en derechos humanos, señaló en una entrevista concedida al canal del Congreso mexicano que “la Seguridad Social es lo que nos permitirá una guardería para nuestros hijos, la posibilidad de atender cualquier enfermedad, cotizar para tener un retiro y proteger a nuestros cónyuges o concubinos en caso de deceso de alguno de ellos”.
Ocampo, quien se ha convertido en el primer gay mexicano en ganar un juicio por homofobia, afirmó que esta victoria significa que también se elimina el lenguaje sexista y genitalizador de la ley del IMSS, por cuanto a que solo para efectos de seguridad social es viable reconocer la unión entre hombre y mujer, lo que está siendo expulsado del orden jurídico.
Según el Comité de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (DESC) de México “el derecho a la seguridad social es de importancia fundamental para garantizar a todas las personas su dignidad humana cuando hacen frente a circunstancias que les privan de su capacidad para ejercer plenamente los derechos reconocidos en el Pacto (…) incluye el derecho a obtener y mantener prestaciones sociales, ya sea en efectivo o en especie, sin discriminación, con el fin de obtener protección”.
La posibilidad de acceder al Seguro Social de una pareja del mismo sexo ha sido una de las principales demandas y preocupaciones de la población LGBTI mexicana. De los más de 12.000 matrimonios gais que se han efectuado desde 2009 en el país, uno alto por ciento se concretó por los beneficios legales que se desprenden de esta unión, como el Seguro Social.
“Falta culminar el proceso legislativo en la Cámara Baja — manifiestó Ocampo — y que esto sea una realidad en todo el país y no solo en casos aislados y con lo complejo y cuantioso que es sostener un litigio constitucional de tres años en el mejor de los casos”.
Por su parte, Robledo agregó que aún falta que se cambien los reglamentos de las instituciones de Seguridad Social, primero estaba la Ley, ahora faltan las leyes menores o Reglamentos de Operación.
Hasta febrero de 2017, y según el Padrón de Beneficiarios del Programa IMSS-BIENESTAR, estaban inscritas al Seguro Social más de 13 millones de mexicanos.
Virginia
Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ends
Voters in November will consider repealing marriage amendment
The Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ended on March 14.
Lawmakers have yet to approve a budget, but they did pass a resolution that paves the way for a referendum on whether to repeal the state’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Lawmakers also advanced House Bill 60, which would protect PrEP users from insurance discrimination.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until April 13 to decide to pass, amend, or veto legislation before it goes back to the House of Delegates on April 22.
Spanberger on Feb. 6 signed the bill that sets the stage for the marriage amendment referendum. Voters will consider whether to “remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”
Equality Virginia has been working during this legislative cycle to urge lawmakers to allocate funding towards LGBTQ rights. The budget would expand funding for schools, competency training for the 988 suicide hotline, and funding to provide gender affirming care to LGBTQ youth.
“As the budget moves through conference and the Reconvene Session approaches on April 22, Equality Virginia remains focused on ensuring our victories this session translate into durable protections,” Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Progress on marriage equality, nondiscrimination protections, and HIV care funding was essential, but Virginia must do more.”
Poland
Polish court rules country must recognize same-sex marriages from EU states
Poland ‘must comply with European Union law’
Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court on March 20 ruled the country must recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other European Union states.
The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg last November ruled in favor of a same-sex couple who challenged Poland’s refusal to recognize their German marriage.
The couple, who lives in Poland, brought their case to Polish courts in 2019. The Supreme Administrative Court referred it to the EU Court of Justice.
“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court clearly demonstrates that Poland, as a member state of the European Union, must comply with European Union law,” said Przemek Walas, advocacy manager for the Campaign Against Homophobia, a Polish LGBTQ advocacy group, in a statement. “The Supreme Administrative Court rightly upheld the interpretation of the Court in Luxembourg and indicated that the only way to implement this ruling is to allow the transcription of a foreign marriage certificate.”
“This ruling is a significant step towards marital equality, but certainly not sufficient,” added Walas.
Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Slovenia, Malta, Greece, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia are the EU countries that have extended full marriage rights to same-sex couples. Poland — along with Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia — are the four EU countries with no legal recognition of same-sex couples.
District of Columbia
Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary gala draws sold out crowd
D.C. elected officials, mayoral candidates praise LGBTQ Democratic group
A sold-out crowd of 186 people, including D.C. elected officials and candidates running for D.C. mayor, turned out Friday, March 20, for the Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary celebration.
Among those attending the event, held at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery building next to the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, were seven D.C. Council members and four Democratic candidates running for mayor.
But at the request of Capital Stonewall Democrats leaders, the Council members, most of whom are running for re-election, and mayoral contenders did not give campaign speeches. Instead, they mingled with the crowd and focused on the accomplishments of the LGBTQ Democratic group over the past 50 years, with some presenting the group’s special “honor” awards to about a dozen prominent LGBTQ Democratic activists.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who was initially expected to attend the event, did not attend.
The mayoral candidates attending included D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) and former At-Large Council member Kenyan McDuffie, an independent turned Democrat, who are considered the leading mayoral contenders in the city’s June 16 Democratic Primary. Both have strong, longtime records of support for LGBTQ rights issues.
The other two mayoral candidates attending the event were Gary Goodweather, a real estate manager, and Rini Sampath, a cybersecurity consultant. Sampath told the Washington Blade she self-identifies as queer. Both have expressed strong support on LGBTQ-related issues.
The D.C. Council members attending the event included Lewis George; Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large); Anita Bonds (D-At-Large); Robert White (D-At-Large); Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3); Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), the Council’s only gay member; and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6).
“Tonight we celebrate not just 50 years of history but 50 years of showing up,” Howard Garrett, Capital Stonewall Democrats immediate past president, told the gathering in opening remarks. “Showing up when it was easy, showing up when it wasn’t popular,” he said, adding, “This work only continues if we continue to show up.”
He noted that the deadline for joining the organization in time to be eligible to vote on its endorsement of candidates running in D.C.’s 2026 election was midnight that night. He urged attendees who were not members to go to two tables at the event to join.
The group’s current president, Stevie McCarty, thanked the group’s longtime members who he said played a key role in what he called its historic work in building political support for the D.C. LGBTQ community. Among those he thanked was Paul Kuntzler, 84, one of the group’s founding members in January 1976, when it was initially named the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.
Members voted to rename the group the Capital Stonewall Democrats in 2021.
Among the LGBTQ advocates who were honored at the event was Rayceen Pendarvis, the longtime host of a D.C. LGBTQ online interview show that included interviews of candidates for public office. Pendarvis also served as emcee for the Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary event.
“Thank you everyone in this room who has done the work to make this world a better place,” Pendarvis said in opening remarks. “To all our prestigious activists in the room, all of our amazing politicians in the room who are doing the work, we love you and we honor you.”
Among the honorees in addition to Pendarvis was Malcolm Kenyatta, the Democratic National Committee’s vice chair who became the first openly LGBTQ person of color to win election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2018.
Other honorees included Parker; Earl Fowlkes, founder of the International Federation of Black Prides; Vita Rangel, a transgender woman who serves as deputy director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments; Heidi Ellis, director of the D.C. LGBTQ Budget Coalition; and Philip Pannell, longtime LGBTQ Democratic activist, Ward 8 civic leader, and longtime Capital Stonewall Democrats member.
The 50th anniversary event included an open bar and refreshments and entertainment by three drag performers.
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