Costa Rica's High Court Blocks Gay Unions Vote

Costa Rica's High 

Court Blocks Gay 

Unions Vote

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF 
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 11, 2010

Costa Rica's highest court has blocked a referendum on gay civil unions

 from going forward, the AP reported.

The Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that the issue should be decided

 by the legislature and not the public. In its 5-2 decision, the court said

 the rights of gay men and lesbians must be protected.

The effort was organized by four lawyers, who collected more than 

150,000 signatures to place the issue before voters. Many of those

 petitions were passed around at churches.

The Roman Catholic Church had strongly backed the measure in an

 effort to thwart the government from legalizing gay unions, which

 the Costa Rican parliament has considered since 2006. Supporters

 believed an overwhelming number of voters would vote against gay 

civil unions in the Catholic stronghold.

Costa Rica's newly-elected President Laura Chinchilla has called such 

rights “not a priority.”

The referendum was scheduled to be held on December 5, when

 Costa Rica also is holding municipal elections.

Defeat at the ballot box would have only ended the hopes of the

 civil unions bill from becoming law.

Gay rights advocates said they would press forward with a cohabitation partnerships bill, which offers similar rights and enjoys broader support, 

if voters had killed the civil unions bill