At least 80,000 people have attended the anti-gay rally called “rally to defend our families” in Mexico City on Saturday, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said.
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The protest is organized by Catholics and the ultra-conservative National Front for the Family, who have been calling people to take to the streets to “defend their families and children” against same-sex marriages and adoptions – which are human rights provided by the Mexican constitution.
Similar rallies were conducted a couple of weeks ago in several cities across Mexico, however today's rally is taking place in what is considered a gay cultural capital both in the country and the world.
For this reason authorities have tight security in order to prevent aggressions by "antagonic groups" against LGBT people, Mancera said, adding that he will respect the right to protest even when he does not agree with protesters.
However, LGBT activists and human rights organizations based in the country’s capital had previously asked authorities to prevent this protest and punish the clergy members who are leading the demonstration, since they are violating the secularity law of Mexico.
On Friday night hundreds of people gathered at the emblematic Angel de la Independencia monument — located in the hearth of the gay neighborhood in Mexico City — which was lit up in pink as part of a demonstration in support of gay marriage, sexual and gender diversity.
Temistocles Villanueva, national secretary for sexual diversity in the leftist-progressive MORENA party, told teleSUR that the right to demonstrate and freedom of expression can not be used to promote hatred and discrimination.
"You cannot claim the freedom of expression right for these kind of protests, especially in a country where members of LGBTQ are already vulnerable to bullying, harassment, intimidation and even death threats,” Villanueva said.
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The representatives of the National Front for the Family say they respect homosexuality, however they demand the state reject their constitutional right to marry, calling them "unstable people" in their propaganda.
Same-sex marriage is legal in some states of Mexico, however, in other states same-sex couples have been banned from getting married. Last June, the Supreme Court ruled that every civil state authority should "recognize marriage as a human right and that people can enter into marriage without any kind of discrimination."