On October 26th, lawmakers in Tamaulipas, Mexico, voted to legalize same-sex marriage through an amendment to the district’s Civil Code, a day after the same happened in the state of Guerrero, according to AP News. These were the last Mexican states to make same-sex marriage legal. Though the Supreme Court had deemed it unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage in 2015, states adopted the ruling at varying paces, Pew Research Center reports. Now, all states finally have laws that conform with the ruling, marking an important step in guaranteeing civil rights to all citizens of the country.

The vote was met with joy from bystanders who shouted “Yes we can!” after the amendment passed, and support from Arturo Zaldívar, the president of the Supreme Court, according to AP News. Zaldívar commented on Twitter, saying “Yesterday was a glorious day; finally in Mexico the entire country is covered with an enormous rainbow; finally love is love and all rights are for everyone; never again will the State prohibit with whom someone wants to spend their life.” LGBTQ+ activists have also applauded the vote. Reuters reports that LGBTQ+ activist Enrique Torre Molina said “Today is a historic day for the LGBTQ+ community and for Mexico. Today we and our families are more visible, more equal, and we are a country with more justice.”

The explicit legalization of same-sex marriage in all Mexican states is a vital step towards ensuring human rights for all. It removes legal justification for discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation. This legal change also represents a positive shift in the country’s popular opinion, showing a shift towards more support for LGBTQ+ people and issues.

The first area in Mexico to legalize same-sex marriage was Mexico City in 2009, followed by three other states until the 2015 Supreme Court ruling, according to Pew Research Center. Mexico joins the two other countries in North America in legalizing same-sex marriage, and joins a number of other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Mexico also has a history of gender-based violence, which current laws do not provide adequate protection against, and only some states allow transgender individuals to change their names and gender markers on birth certificates. But, legislation generally upholds human rights regardless of sexual orientation, according to Human Rights Watch.

This new legislation provides hope that lawmakers in Mexico are moving towards protecting human rights regardless of identity, and we can hope that protections for women and transgender people will follow. If the response to Tamaulipas’ legalization of same-sex marriage is any indication, public opinion and the Mexican government are moving in a progressive direction and legislation will soon reflect this change in perspective.