The first female mayor to be elected in Colombia’s capital city of Bogota has married her female partner just ahead of taking office.
Claudia López, who will be sworn into office in January, announced her wedding to Angélica Lozano on social media, sharing an enthusiastic message and several photographs late on Monday.
“On my way to the happiest moment of my life!” the mayor-elect wrote on Twitter.
She thanked her bride for “loving me always” and promised “to honor and love” her the rest of their lives, and posted photographs show the white-clad couple holding a bouquet.
¡Rumbo al momento más feliz de mi vida!
¡Te amo mi Angelica divina! ¡Gracias por existir y por amarme siempre. Te prometo honrarte y amarte toda la vida!
¡Gracias a la vida por este año maravilloso: me gradué del doctorado, gané la Alcaldía y me casé con el amor de mi vida! pic.twitter.com/Za3njCHUW5
— Claudia López
(@ClaudiaLopez) December 17, 2019
López is also the first openly lesbian mayor of Bogota – or of any capital city in Latin America, where traditional cultural biases, coupled with conservative religious values, often slow the cause of advancing LGBTQ acceptance.
López has been open about her personal life. She shared a passionate kiss with bride-to-be Lonzano as the pair watched results come in during the October election in which she won her new office.
“Thank you life for this marvelous year!” López posted. “I graduated with my doctorate, won mayoral office and married the love of my life!”
The new bride revealed few details about the ceremony in her post, but said white pantsuits worn by the couple were crafted by Colombian designer Ángel Yañez.
While the majority-Catholic nation of Colombia remains a socially conservative country, legal gains have been made to promote LGBT+ rights in recent years.
Laws passed since 2015 allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. Transgender people can change their names on identity cards.
During her campaign, Lopez, a left-wing former senator and presidential candidate, did not focus on LGBT+ rights or her sexuality.
Instead, she pledged to fight all forms of discrimination and inequality suffered by Colombians in the capital city of seven million people, address the high levels of violence against women and children and improve access to education.
Article originally appeared on Q Colombia and is republished here with permission.
