A congressional committee in Mexico has just rejected a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The bill, proposed by President Enrique Pena Nieto, would have been added as an amendment to the country’s Constitution. However, it was defeated by a congressional committee that voted 19-8 against it.

There are several states and areas in Mexico that have formally legalized gay marriage, such as Mexico City, Campeche, Coahuila, and Quintana Roo. In 2015, Mexico’s Supreme Court deemed state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional; however, it didn’t overturn any state laws, meaning gay couples who wanted to wed still needed to individually petition the courts for approval.

Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo of the Democratic Revolution Party said the proposed bill was “A reform of which we should feel proud, because the rights of minorities are not put to a vote. They are expanded and recognized, and it is congress that should protect them.”

The Mexican people need a congress that will guarantee everyone the right to marry the person they love.