Murphy Woodhouse/KJZZ

Dozens of supporters of the marriage equality reform measure showed up to the hearing where it was first introduced in August 2019. The sign in the center reads, "Love is love."

More than a year since being presented, a Sonoran marriage equality measure is slated to be heard by the state congress.

The joint session of the Gender Equality and Justice and Human Rights committees is set for Wednesday morning. A similar hearing was scheduled in February, but not enough representatives showed up to meet quorum requirements.

“We’ve reviewed the initiative, and we know it’s solid,” said Elsa Cornejo, a coordinator with Diverciudad, one of the groups pushing for the reform. “So, our expectation from a legal standpoint is that it’s approved.”

But, pointing to what she described as strongly rooted prejudice, she still fears a repeat of what happened in February, or that the initiative is simply not approved.
Sonora is among several Mexican states that ban same-sex marriages, despite a 2015 Mexican Supreme Court ruling that such laws are unconstitutional.