Mar 23, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Piedad Cordoba, a liberal senator from Colombia, has announced that during an upcoming visit to Peru she will take the opportunity to promote homosexual “rights” in the country.
Córdoba, who last year sponsored a bill to make homosexual unions equivalent to marriage in Colombia, will participate as a speaker in an international seminar called, “Sexual Diversity and Human Rights—New Contributions to Civic Inclusion,” which will take place March 24-26.
The event has sparked controversy in Peru as hundreds of young people have protested the decision by the country’s National Youth Committe to promote the gathering, which seeks to secure legal status for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transexuals.
The seminar is being organized by the Gender Studies Program of the University of St. Mark and the Homosexual Movement of Lima, with the sponsorship of the British Embassy in Peru. The meeting seeks to bring together homosexual activits and lawmakers from around the world who have successfully worked for special rights for homosexuals to the detriment of marriage.
According to Colombian homosexual groups supporting Senator Cordoba, “a group of activists is preparing a bill that would grant rights to same-sex couples” and “spark a wide national debate on thie issue” in Colombia beginning July 20. “The details of the plan,” say homosexual activists, “will be made known in Lima by Senator Piedad Cordoba.”