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Five gay couples celebrate "wedding" in Lima, Peru, on Valentine's Day

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Five homosexual couples had a symbolic wedding in Peru on Valentine's Day, as part of their public actions advocating for their legal rights to get married.

The ceremony took place at the Parque del Amor (“Love's Park”) in the limenian district of Miraflores, and was organized by the Peruvian Network of Travestites, Transgenders, Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals.

The couples who participated in the symbolic wedding ceremony, that was officiated by an activist from the aforemention organization, took advantage of the district's rules, that ban all kind of discrimination.

One of the “newlyweds” told the press “this is the first step to demand a change in the laws. We all have the same constitutional rights.”

Susel Paredes, a lawyer and a conspicuous lesbian activist, said that this was to give a message to the citizens.

“Laws have to change, as in Mexico and Argentina. Civil rights are the same for everyone, and that's what our community is asking for,” she said.

The issue of “gay marriage” has been recently put in the public agenda by TV host Jaime Bayly, who has expressed an interest in running for the Presidency in next elections.

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# *&! says :
February 15, 2010 [ 13:19 ]

Gay, Straight, Bisexuals, whatever! boring! yawn!

# mericorps says :
February 15, 2010 [ 16:07 ]

Well, I wish it were a boring issue..it should not matter to anyone...

However, this is Peru and recently the Minister of the Interior, in opposition to a federal court ruling, said no gays would be allowed in the police force.  If someone comes out or is outed, especially in a government job, they will likely loose their job here in Peru.  Families disown their gay relatives. I know a gay man in Pisco who lost his legs in the earthquake and was taken in by a wealthy gay Lima couple because his family would not.

3 short years ago the police were still raiding gay bars and also 3 years ago a man disenboweled his son for being gay, and wondered why he was being prosecuted for doing God´s work.

Peru has been determined to be one of the most conservative and dangerous places for LGBT people in all Latin America.

I pray for it to be boring and not notworthy, but I have to live here as it is, not as how I want it to be.

# Fred Flongerburgerstein says :
February 18, 2010 [ 9:44 ]

This is not something to be celebrated or encouraged.  Peru already has enough problems to have to also deal with the further disintegration of an already fragile society. 

# mericorps says :
February 18, 2010 [ 14:03 ]

So, fred, your answer is to promote exclusion, disintigration, break-up of families, hatred and bigotry to protect society?

Sounds like Hitler´s plan.

# Veronica says :
February 18, 2010 [ 14:52 ]

I don't remember God saying that two persons of the same sex can multiply...the law of our nature is that we need a male and female to procreate, and that is the final answer.

I don't think for a minority the law has to be changed especially in a very religious country like Peru.

Besides, some statistics confirm that gay couples do no last together for too long...they might be some exceptions but in general they are not.

# David N says :
February 18, 2010 [ 15:55 ]

The status quo has worked well for centuries, no compelling reason to change it now.  If a man wants to get married, he only has to find a woman and it will happen...and vice versa.

"Peru has been determined to be one of the most conservative and dangerous places for LGBT people in all Latin America."  -->  Yep, one of the few aspects I actually like about Peru.

# mericorps says :
February 18, 2010 [ 19:39 ]

Veronica, you can find many excuses to excuse your bigotry, religion to justify hate is a very common misuse of religion where a loving God says love one another, judge you not and hail unto cesar that which is cesars.  It just makes you a false Christian and many of the very same arguments were used to justify prohibiting interracial marriage as are now used to try to allow special privelages to bigots by using legislation to make certain people second class citizens.

However, you fail in your arguments on many levels..and while Peru is a Catholic country, they have civil and church marriages, civil marriages, by the Constitution of this country, are secular.  Further, you are not calling for infertile people to avoid marriage even though you claim that marriage is for procreation..you just let that slip past you because it negates you.

No, there is no exuse for bigotry other than ignorance and hate and stupidity.

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