LGBT activists and human rights groups celebrated the IACHR decision, while the Catholic Church and evangelical groups condemned it. The ruling was met with outrage among conservative and evangelical groups, who argued that the court had "disrespected" Costa Rica's laws. Some opponents of the ruling called for the country to leave the jurisdiction of the court, which would require a constitutional amendment. Several supporters of the ruling have argued that local legislation is not required to legalise same-sex marriage, citing a 2016 court decision regarding the legalisation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), in which the IACHR ruled that presidential and/or governmental decrees are sufficient to implement its decisions.