Large sign outside Peru’s Congress tells OAS: ideology does not define women

Denver Newsroom, Oct 5, 2022 / 14:30 pm

A large mobile sign mounted on a delivery truck was temporarily parked outside Peru’s Congress with the message “women are defined by biology, not ideology,” addressed to the dignitaries who will be participating in the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Lima.

The sign critical of gender ideology, which bore the unofficial logo of the OAS and the trademark of the CitizenGO platform, appeared in front of the Congress building Oct. 3, two days before the start of the international meeting that will end Oct. 7.

The action was criticized by members of the congressional “Caucus for Equality and Gender,” which presented a letter Oct. 3 to the president of Congress, José Williams, requesting “information about those responsible for allowing the truck to enter (the congressional grounds) which had a message of intolerance and anti-rights.”

In response, several members of Congress opposed the caucus’ request  as a violation of freedom of expression.

“They speak of intolerance while attempting to censor an idea for the simple fact of not sharing it. That has never happened when in different (formats) in Congress you have conveyed ideas that not necessarily everyone shares. It’s called freedom of expression, colleagues,” tweeted Congresswoman Adriana Tudela of the Go on Country – Social Integration Party.

In addition to the sign that sparked the controversy, dozens of banners from the group “Don’t mess with my kids” were placed on overpasses in the capital displaying messages such as: “The family is the greatest treasure of humanity,” “In the Americas we fight for those who have no voice but do have rights,” “OAS: the Americas defend life and the family,” “Life: it is not debated, it’s defended,” and “Peru, a pro-life country, welcomes you.” 

Pro-life lawmakers oppose OAS interference in local laws

The Parliamentarians in Defense of Life and the Family Caucus made up of 30 Peruvian members of Congress spoke out against possible interference by the OAS in local laws.

In an Oct. 3 press conference, the caucus charged that resolutions with high ideological content that violate the Peruvian legal framework were about to be approved.

Congressman Alejandro Muñante, one of the spokesmen for the caucus, explained that the OAS Draft Resolution referring to the “Promotion and Protection of Human Rights” includes “concepts not recognized by Peruvian national legislation such as same-sex marriage, gender identity, and the legalization of abortion, among others.”

He also pointed out that none of these concepts is contained in the American Convention on Human Rights.

“We demand that the officials who make up the Peruvian delegation to the OAS take care not to subscribe to changes to our constitutional order, nor contravene the Peruvian legal system,” the Pro-Life Caucus said in a statement.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.