Over 90 Same-Sex Couples Legalize Their Union in Brazil

Over 90 same-sex couples legalized their unions in a group ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, taking their status to just shy of a marriage in Brazil. The 92 couples pledged themselves to "stable unions," though the G1 web site noted the ceremony was mainly symbolic, as they will have have to repeat their vows Monday in front of a judge.

Held at the Rio courthouse, the mass celebration "pays an old debt with a segment of the population that is the target of so much prejudice and discrimination," Claudio Nascimento, head of a Rio gay rights group, told the site.

In May 2011, the Brazilian Supreme Court recognized the "stable union" of same-sex couples as a family. Since then, several courts have recognized such unions as civil marriage.

Source-AFP