Two Women, One Man Have Civil Union in Brazil; Brazil Is 1st Nation to Allow 3-Person "Marriage"

Two women and a man have entered into a civil partnership in the Brazilian community of Sao Paulo, the Catholic Herald website reports today (September 3, 2012).

Legal recognition of the three-way relationship follows a decision by the Latin American country to extend civil partnerships to same-sex couples.

Claudia do Nascimento Domingues -- a public notary -- granted the request for a civil union of one man and two women, saying there is nothing in the law that prevents such an arrangement. The union was established formally three months ago, but only became public this week.

"We are only recognizing what has always existed. We are not inventing anything," said Ms. Domingues. "For better or worse, it doesn't matter, but what we considered a family before isn't necessarily what we would consider a family today."