Costa Rica has officially said yes to marriage equality which is great news, but this decision has a whole lot more worth celebrating.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights came to the decision that same-sex couples should be treated "without discrimination", saying that same-sex couples should have access to the same financial and family rights as heterosexuals.
While the IACHR is based in Costa Rica, the decision is also binding for all 20 countries it oversees. Of those 20 countries, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay (as well as some states in Mexico) already allowed same-sex couples to marry. In the case of Chile and Ecuador, same-sex couples could register for civil unions in lieu of marriages.
Now, the decision will be extended to all the countries under the IACHR including Barbados, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname - essentially bringing marriage equality to 20 countries with the single decision.
The IACHR also ruled that trans people should have the ability to change their name and gender marker on official identifying documents.
"The Inter-American Court vindicates the rights of LGBTI persons under the American Convention, and reminds all the States of their responsibility and historical moral obligation to this population."
Despite the massive win for LGBTQI+ rights, not all countries would be honouring the ruling, with homosexuality remaining illegal in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
