Thousands of people took to the streets of Chile’s capital Santiago over the weekend to campaign for same-sex civil unions and gender identity laws
Tens of thousands of Chileans marched over the weekend in support of LGBT rights.
The demonstration intended to raise awareness of President Piñera’s proposed bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter in civil unions.
According to American news website Washington Blade, activists are also demanding that the government implement a gender identity law like neighboring Argentina’s that allows adults to change their gender and name without prior court or medical approval.
‘The government and the National Congress should take note of these massive mobilizations that demonstrate time and time again that the majority of this country supports full equality of rights for sexual minorities,’ said Rolando Jiménez, president of Chile’s leading sexual rights group Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh).
‘The political class always says that it has to listen to the people, but enough of this. It is time to act.’
The march included presidential candidates Andrés Velasco, Tomás Jocelyn-Holt, Marco Enríquez-Ominami, and Marcel Claude, and the European Union’s ambassador to Chile Rafael Dochao.
Former president Michelle Bachelet, whose commitment to LGBT rights remains questioned by LGBT activists since her failure to complete on marriage equality during her last presidency, apparently supported the march through a letter.
LGBT rights in the South American country catapulted to the global stage after the brutal torture and death of Daniel Zamudio in March 2012.
Zamudio’s death propelled LGBT rights activists in Chile to press for the swift passage of anti-discrimination legislation that had been stalled for years by lawmakers.
by Jean Paul Zapata
Source – Gay Star News
