Registration of same-sex unions grows most in São Paulo and Minas Gerais.

Yara Aquino, reporter for Agência Brasil - Since same-sex civil unions were recognized as family entities by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in 2011, the number of same-sex unions has been steadily increasing in registry offices across the country. From 608 cases in 2011, the number rose to 1.288 last year, an increase of 112% in the period, mostly in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, according to data from the Notarial College of Brazil, São Paulo section – an entity that brings together notary offices.

Since 2012, São Paulo has been the state with the highest number of registered same-sex civil unions, consistently followed by Minas Gerais. In the first five months of 2016 alone, 358 same-sex unions were registered in the country, 76 of which were in São Paulo, representing 21% of the national total. During the same period, Minas Gerais registered 69 unions, representing 19% of the total.

With this recognition, same-sex couples have the same rights and responsibilities as civil unions between men and women, such as the right to pensions and inheritance. The president of the Notarial College of Brazil, São Paulo section, Andrei Guimarães Duarte, says that the growth of these unions is mainly related to the pursuit of guaranteed rights by these couples.

"People realize the need for their relationship and rights to be clearly defined and easily proven. The impact is significant in some situations, such as being a beneficiary of a health plan or dividing assets. By regulating property relations, future litigation can also be avoided," he said.

A civil union agreement allows, for example, proving the existence of the relationship and establishing the start date of the union, establishing the property regime applicable to the relationship, regulating property issues, guaranteeing rights before social security agencies for the granting of benefits, and allowing the inclusion of the partner as a dependent in medical, dental, club, and other plans.

The states of Amapá, Alagoas, and Rondônia are among those that have registered the fewest such unions since 2011. Rio Grande do Norte more than doubled the number of stable same-sex unions from 2014 to 2015, rising from 14 to 30 cases.

According to Andrei Guimarães, one hypothesis for this variation among Brazilian states is the population's access to information. "Perhaps in some places the information isn't reaching the population as it should, raising awareness about the benefits that civil unions can generate. The level of social development and the population's access to public services can also be taken into account," he assesses.

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) recognized same-sex civil unions as family entities in 2011. However, registry offices throughout Brazil were only required to register same-sex marriages in May 2013, following a resolution approved by the National Council of Justice.