The other gay marriage ruling

The overturning of California’s same-sex marriage ban wasn’t the only victory for North American gay marriage proponents this week:

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a law allowing same-sex marriages in Mexico City is constitutional, rejecting an appeal by federal prosecutors who argued it violated the charter’s guarantees to protect the family.

The justices’ 8-2 ruling handed a legal victory to hundreds of same-sex couples who have been married in Mexico’s capital since the landmark law took effect March 4. When approved last December, it was the first law in Latin America explicitly giving gay marriages the same status as heterosexual ones, including adoption.

The Mexican ruling comes just weeks after Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage. In others, such as Brazil and Uruguay, same-sex civil unions are legal, but full marriage remains out of reach.