The reasons and significance of same-sex marriage on the LGBT community in Latin America

Abstract

ver the past decade, Latin America has stood out for recognizing LGBT rights and made impressive progress on marriage equality. Since 2010, nine countries have approved laws prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation. Argentina became the first country in the region to approve same-sex marriage in 2010. The rest are Uruguay in 2013, Brazil in 2013, Colombia in 2016, Ecuador in 2019, Costa Rica in 2020, Chile in 2021, Mexico in 2022, and Cuba in 2022. Why can same-sex marriage be legalized in Latin America? The essence of the legalization of same-sex marriage is an expansion of the LGBT groups’ rights, primarily due to institutional factors in Latin America: party affiliation, federalism, and the role of the courts. The significance of legalizing same-sex marriage for LGBT groups is improving their mental health, preventing discrimination and violence against the LGBT community, strengthening gender equality, and avoiding lavender marriage. At the social level, legalization could enhance the development of society by removing the structural stigma of LGBT people and strengthening health systems. Argentina has the features to achieve success in this field.