Mexico's LGBT Community Unites to Combat Conservative Campaign

Mexican LGBT activists Sunday held their first-ever national meeting, in the central city of Cuernavaca, to combat a concerted effort by the Catholic church and civil society to repeal same-sex marriage in the country. 

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Gay marriage is legal in Mexico, but it is up to each province, or state to recognize or enforce the practice. Catholic activists earlier this month called for a series of nationwide protests against same-sex marriage.  

LGTB activists have said that this campaign and others like it represent a violation of Mexico's secular democracy, and encourage violence and homophobia in this traditionally conservative country.

Both the church leadership and anti-LGBT activists redoubled their efforts after the unpopular President Enrique Peña Nieto announced last May the signing of a reform initiative which recognizes same-sex couples right to marry. 

The Supreme Court last year declared it unconstitutional to restrict  marriage to a man and a woman, urging all states to legalize gay marriage. But the ruling was not compulsory for all states, forcing some couples to sue in court in jurisdictions which did not recognize the unions. 

Hundreds of LGBT activists from 25 states and representatives of international organizations like the Harvey Milk Foundation, concluded that the president's initiative has only placed their community in harm's way, or subjected them to  “target shooting.” Activists have urged Peña Nieto to act more forcefully against both violent and rhetorical attacks.  

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They also described as absurd the marches planned by anti-LGBT activitsts, especially since their stated objective is to protect the traditional family, a concept that seems “archaic” in a country as diverse as Mexico's. 

The first march against gay-marriage is expected to take place on September 10 in Mexico City, recognized worldwide as a gay cultural capital, and other marches will be conducted on September 24 in the country’s major cities.