¡Hurra Mexico City!

What was the capital of Mexico doing while their president-elect Felipe Calderon was meeting with President Bush today? Why, they were legalizing civil unions.

Mexico City’s assembly on Thursday passed legislation to legally recognize gay civil unions in the capital, the first such vote by a legislative body in the history of the conservative, predominantly Roman Catholic country.

Mexico City Mayor Alejandro Encinas has spoken in favor of the bill and was expected to sign it into law, while at least one conservative non-governmental group said it was considering seeking a court injunction against the measure.

The bill, which would not approve gay marriage, allows same-sex couples to register their union with civil authorities, granting them inheritance rights and other benefits typically given to spouses. Heterosexual couples who are not legally married can also be registered under the bill.

“This law ... does not require anyone else to change their thinking, nor does it hurt the concept of the nuclear family,” said legislator Juan Bustos of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, which has pushed for the law in the capital for years.

What a concept. Imagine have left-leaning legislators who actually have the cojones to state quite plainly that same-sex unions don’t undermine families. As the Democrats work with President Bush on immigration, I suggest they consider a provision to import members of the PRD, starting with Juan Bustos.

Tito Vasconcelos, one of Mexico City’s leading gay activists, said the law represents “Mexico’s entrance into the first world of democracy, along with other countries that recognize this type of union.”

Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe we could try that.

(Via.)