Mexico City Offers Free Honeymoon To First Gay Argentine Newlyweds

By Simone Hilliard

After a 27-year relationship, two men on Friday (July 30) became the first gay couple to wed under Argentina's historic same-sex marriage law — the first of its kind for a Latin American nation. Jose Luis Navarro, 54, and Miguel Angel Calefato, 65, tied the knot in provincial Santiago del Estero.

Lucky for them, Mexico City recently offered a free honeymoon to the first same-sex Argentine married couple, but Navarro said he and Calefato were reluctant to accept. "It seems superficial to think of marrying just to win a prize," Navarro said.

Jose Luis David Navarro, 54, left, and Miguel Angel Calefato, 65, show their marriage license
(AP Photo/Eugenio Adorni)

Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide on July 15, but Mexico City decreed the romantic act back in December of 2009. Amid all the press surrounding the South American country, la ciudad decided to capitalize on a bit of that fame by offering a free honeymoon to the first same-sex couple that marries in Argentina, further promoting gay-friendly tourism in Central America.  

Mexico City's tourism secretary Alejandro Rojas said the couple's all-expense paid vacation will include airfare, hotels, meals, and leisure activities.

Rojas told the Press Association:

"Mexico City will become a centre, where (gay) people from all over the world will be able to come and have their wedding, and then spend their honeymoon here.

"We are already in talks with some travel agencies that are planning to offer package tours that include flights, hotels, guides, and everything they need for the wedding, like banquets. We are going to become a city on par with Venice or San Francisco."

Whether this publicity stunt will do the trick is unknown, but one Argentine couple is certainly the recipient of a wonderful offer no matter the reason.

Source: [ABC News]

What do you think of Mexico's tourism tactics? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Argentina, Cultura, gay, Marriage, Mexico, Politics