Ecuador's highest court approves same-sex marriage

Ecuador's highest court on Wednesday approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the traditionally Catholic and conservative South American country.

LGBT and human rights activists erupted into a celebration in Quito and the port city of Guayaquil, waving the rainbow flags that symbolise the gay rights movement.

The Constitutional Court said same-sex marriage had been approved in a five-to-four vote of the nine judges in a closed-door hearing.

Ecuador, where the church is very influential, joins Argentina, Brazil and Colombia in recognising same-sex marriage.

"It means that Ecuador is more egalitarian," said lawyer Christian Paula of the Patka Foundation, which provides legal advice for around ten same-sex couples seeking to marry in the country. "It recognises that human rights must be for all people without discrimination."

The four dissenting judges argued that in order to recognise same-sex marriage, constitutional reforms would have to be debated in the National Assembly.

Gustavo Medina, a former Supreme Court president, told AFP that Ecuadoran authorities were obligated to abide by decisions of the Constitutional Court, which were "binding and mandatory."

Ecuador has recognised de facto civil unions for same-sex couples since 2015.

The Constitutional Court approved same-sex marriage in its ruling on lawsuits by two gay couples, who wanted to be wed. Efrain Soria and Javier Benalcazar, were one of the couples.

"I want to say hello to Javier, who is in Guayaquil. Honey, I love you," Soria told reporters in the capital Quito. He urged other gay couples to stop hiding and "enjoy the happiness that comes from being equal, like anyone else."

Ecuador's constitution defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The charter, ratified in 2008, also bars same-sex couples from adopting children.

The judges that approved same-sex marriage said that they based their decision on the idea that all people are equal. They also said they sought to counter any kind of discrimination.

In Foch Plaza, downtown Quito, two women who have been fighting for the right to marry since 2013 staged a symbolic wedding right after the courts' decision was announced.

Pamela Troya and Gabriela Correa sat formally in chairs for the ceremony and when Troya was asked the big question, she said: "Today, I say yes. A big yes. A giant yes. I want to be your wife." Others in the crowd shouted in approval, hugged and kissed.

Troya later told reporters that the fight for same-sex marriage in Ecuador had been long and hard, and at times, she thought it was a lost cause.

"Finally, today is a historic day for Ecuador because it is a little fairer and egalitarian," she said.