Costa Rica May Have Just Legalized Gay Marriage ... Accidentally

Um ... whoops? Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly passed a bill Monday, and conservative lawmakers didn't realize until Tuesday that the bill could very well have just legalized same-sex civil unions, Tico Times reports, citing La Nación. Seems the lawmakers failed to recognize language that one leftist lawmaker inserted into the bill, which could be interpreted as changing the definition of marriage. (The measure was a reform of a law covering social services for youth, as well as marriage.)

Specifically, the new version removes language defining unions as between a man and a woman, and says a common-law marriage can be obtained "without discrimination against to human dignity." But President Laura Chinchilla still has to sign the bill, and lawmakers are calling for her to veto it (though she said yesterday that she won't). Plus, even if it does survive, same-sex civil unions would need to make it through a court challenge. (More gay marriage stories.)