BREAKING: Puerto Rico Drops Defense Of Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

UPDATE: Lambda Legal celebrates.

“In declining to further defend the Commonwealth’s discriminatory marriage ban, Puerto Rico’s government finally recognizes that denying marriage to LGBT people is harmful and cannot be justified. The marriage ban’s sole purpose is to perpetuate discrimination, and it is just plain wrong,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal. “Same-sex couples, LGBT people, and their families are part of Puerto Rico’s rich social and cultural fabric. Today’s actions fulfill the constitutional promises of justice and fairness for LGBT people in Puerto Rico. Simply put, discrimination is never in Puerto Rico’s best interests.”