Incidents of homophobia have increased in Mexico in the wake of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s proposal to legalize same-sex marriage, a leading NGO attests.
At least 26 people have been murdered this year alone because of their sexual orientation, according to data supplied by the Comisión Ciudadana contra los Crímenes de Odio por Homofobia (Citizens Commission against Homophobic Hate Crimes).
“It’s important that authorities take this seriously before a tragedy happens, We don’t want an Orlando in Mexico,” Commission President Alejandro Brito told a recent press conference.
Brito said he has obtained sufficient evidence to confirm the deaths as homophobic hate crimes, noting that Mexico does not have an official institution to collaborate such data.
The conservative National Action Party (PAN) and Roman Catholic leaders, as well as other religious denominations, have vowed to wage a nationwide campaign against the proposed constitutional reforms.
Brito accused some conservative groups of creating panic among parents by distributing propaganda in private schools warning of the dangers of same-sex marriage legislation, as well as the risks of teaching gender equality to children.
Nationwide polls show the Mexican public to be marginally opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage. A few analysts suggested Peña Nieto’s plan contributed to the poor showing of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in last month’s midterm elections, although no concrete data supports this one way or another.
Meanwhile, Roman Catholic leaders in Jalisco – one of the country’s most socially conservative states – vowed to fight the reform but have refused to join forces with other Christian denominations to do so. Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, the archbishop of Guadalajara, said while he was vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage, his church would not participate in planned “mass prayers” together with other religions but rather wage its own crusade aimed at defeating the measure.
Jalisco is one of only a few states in Mexico where same-sex marriages are permitted. A recent ruling by the nation’s Supreme Court struck down segments of Jalisco’s Civil Code that considers marriage to only be between a man and a woman. Although local registrars have been advised to approve marriage license applications from same-sex couples, the Jalisco legislature has dragged its heels in amending the state constitution to reflect the Supreme Court ruling.
The federal Chamber of Deputies is scheduled to begin discussion of Peña Nieto’s proposal in September.