In a show of inspiring solidarity, a community in Bogotá, Columbia came together on Sunday, August 7 to hold a kiss-a-thon in support of a gay couple who were set upon by a group after kissing publicly, reports BBC News.
"This is a declaration. We are no longer afraid."
Hundreds of people gathered in Bogotá, Colombia over the weekend to stage a kiss-a-thon in support of a gay couple who were subjected to homophobic abuse. Colombians Came Together
On Friday, August 5, a video circulated on social media showing a queer couple being forced by a mob to leave a park. According to BBC News, the pair had been seen kissing before being set upon by a group of women who forced them to leave.
In the video, one woman can be heard saying, “in this neighbourhood we don’t allow sex in the park, especially not in front of children” and another saying, “If you don’t leave, we’ll lynch you”. The two men who were victims of the attack are Santiago Maldonado and Jorge Esteban Farías who have been contacted by Mayor Claudia Lopez who promises to fight for equality in her city, reports Attitude.
Despite same-sex marriage being legalised in 2016, Colombia still reports hate-crime motivated attacks. Bogotá’s Claudia Lopez is the city’s first openly gay mayor and she condemns the incident in the park strongly and says, “There is a video circulating (which I do not reproduce so as not to re-victimise) of a homophobic and violent act in a park. We emphatically reject it.”
In response to this terrifying scenario, groups of LGBTQIA+ people and allies came together and organised a kiss-a-thon via social media to protest the blatant act of homophobia. Attendees held up signs that read “Kisses are signs of affection, not a crime.” They chanted in support of LGBTQIA+ love and showed true community passion.
by Josh [DNA]
Source – DNA Magazine
