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Costa Rica Court Rejects Vote on Same-Sex Civil Unions

   VOA News 11 August 2010

   Costa  Rica's constitutional court has blocked a referendum that would
   have  let  voters decide if same-sex civil unions should be allowed in
   the Central American country.
   The  court  said  Tuesday  a  referendum  would  put  a  minority at a
   disadvantage in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Â
   The court said the rights of minorities should be decided by the Costa
   Rica's lawmakers, not by a popular vote.
   The referendum was originally scheduled for December 5.  Â
   Last  month,  Argentina  became  the first country in Latin America to
   legalize same-sex marriage.
   Mexico's  Supreme  Court  ruled  last  week that same-sex weddings are
   constitutional in the capital, Mexico City.
   In Uruguay and Colombia, civil unions are approved nationwide.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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