The Philippines' top court heard arguments today for the legalisation of gay marriage, a historic first in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation.
Two same-sex couples denied licenses to wed urged the Supreme Court to strike down a 1987 law that states marriage must be between a man and a woman.
"When the right to marry, a decision so personal, so intimate and so life-changing, is denied to LGBT people, the state is not valuing their dignity," lawyer Jesus Falcis, who is also a co-plaintiff, told justices in Manila.
It took three years for the Supreme Court to schedule a hearing and the case will likely move at a glacial pace. Judges will next hear from the government's lawyers, but the court does not set itself deadlines to issue rulings and cases sometimes take years to resolve.
Legal experts say the case is still highly significant.
"The decision will be landmark because the court has never pronounced on this," University of the Philippines law professor Antonio La Vina told AFP, adding, "Obviously, it would be even more landmark, more historic if they say marriage is not between a man and a woman."
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