Supreme Court of the Brazil recognizes gay partnerships

BRASILIA- Federal Supreme Court of the Brazil, Thursday legally recognized same-sex partnerships in a matter of point of reference for the rights of homosexuals in a country where the largest population of Roman Catholics.

The judges at the STF, as the superior court, is called vote 10 to zero for gay partnerships, a legal precedent in the largest countries of Latin America. A justice, Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli, refrained from voting, saying that he was already wearing related affairs.

The decision grants homosexual couples most of the rights which enjoy heterosexual partners, including pension benefits, inheritance, and some lawyers say that perhaps the right to adopt children. The lower courts had ruled in favour of and against partnerships, which are not governed by specific legislation.

"The freedom to pursue his own sexuality is part of the freedom of expression," said Justice Carlos Ayres Britto, the author of the decision.

The fact decision Brazil the second country of South America after the Argentina to allow gay partnerships. The majority of the judges argued that the Constitution did not explicitly exclude gay partnerships and that it was an expression of the right to privacy and to equality before the law.

Activists Gay celebrated the decision, saying that the decision shows that the State is ready to defend the rights of citizens regardless of their sexual status and race.

"The degree of civilisation of a country can be measured by how people in a nation treat their gay community," website of the newspaper O Globo cited Claudio Nascimento, head of the State of Rio de Janeiro Gay, Lesbian and transgender Committeeas saying. "It is a historic day for the Brazil."

Catholic Church of the Brazil had argued against the decision, saying that the only Union called Constitution was that between a man and a woman.

Hugo Jose de Oliveira, a lawyer representing the national Brazilian Bishops Conference, or CNBB, "plurality has its limits," told the Court. Church leaders, said they would not move their position after the decision.

Approximately 140 million population of 190 million to the Brazil in 2008 were Catholic.

The case was brought before the Court by the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro and federal prosecutors.

Most major cities in the Brazil have an active and open the gay community and Sao Paulo annually hosts the largest parade of gay in the world, with about 3 million people attending.

Despite this, the country is faced with the recent episodes of violence against the gay community - including harassment and beatings at central points in Sao Paulo. In rural areas and even in the capital, Brasilia, gays are often ridiculed and harassed.