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News > Latin America

El Salvador Right Wing Pushes Anti-LGBT Reforms

  • High heel shoes are seen on a rainbow flag during a protest by the LGBT community against violence against transgender people in Mexico City, Nov. 13, 2016.

    High heel shoes are seen on a rainbow flag during a protest by the LGBT community against violence against transgender people in Mexico City, Nov. 13, 2016. | Photo: Reuters

Published 17 November 2016
Opinion

Conservatives urged the Parliament to clearly specify that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Ultraconservative lawmakers in El Salvador submitted a proposal to the country’s parliament Wednesday to ratify a constitutional reform to restrict same-sex marriages.

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El Salvador recognizes neither same-sex marriage, civil unions, or any other legally recognized union for gay couples. However, lawmaker Maytee Iraheta, from right-wing ARENA party, wants it to be very clear.

Iraheta, along with other members of her party and Catholic and Protestant leaders went to the legislative headquarters in capital San Salvador to deliver a document that urges the Parliament to “clearly specify that marriage is only between a man and a woman.”

The document also adds that if a “straight” couple wants to get married, both have had to prove they were born as a man or a woman, even when the Central American country does not allow transgender people to legally change the gender they identified with.

By ratifying the law conservatives are trying to block any legal resource that LGBT groups can present in order to change the legislation.

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ARENA has not been able to do so because legislators from the ruling FMLN party, created by former leftist guerrillas, have never supported the motion and despite their majority in Parliament the conservatives cannot reach the necessary votes.

Since 2006, LGBT groups have submitted proposals to recognize same-sex unions. However, they have all been rejected by the right wing dominated Parliament.

Human right activists have rejected the position of ultraconservatives in the impoverished nation and have also warned that hate crimes against El Salvador's LGBT community are increasing in the climate of impunity and deep-seated prejudices.

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