Noticias

Music and art demanded the secular and republican character of the paraguayan State, highlighting that the principles of equality and freedom can not be threaten by speeches and violent demonstrations that seek to impose obscurantist dogmatic and deeply fundamentalist principles, trying to stop the advance of human rights to all in Paraguay.
Artists such as Rolando Chaparro, Hugo Ferreira, Dayana Urunaga, Las Residentas Rock, Square Pants, MNESIS, live DJs, among others, who marked the morning scene and beginning of the afternoon with the note that gave voice and music to songs on equality in favour of freedom.
The Liberal Senator Alfredo Jaeggli also participated of the event and expressed, once again, his commitment of support on the law that will allow equal marriage in Paraguay, whenever it is presented by SOMOSGAY.
The line up of speeches included the socialist councilor Rocio Casco, Pachin Centurion from CEPATE and Johana Ortega from Youth of the Country with Solidarity, who stressed the importance of the constitutional principles of equality and freedom as guides of the political debate in the country.
A letter of support was received from the Office of the Resident Representative in our country from the System of United Nations in an intern character, Dr. Ruben Figueroa, who expressed:
"It is known by you the position of the United Nations manifestly contrary to any expression that makes vulnerable the individual and citizen rights of people in terms of diversity and equality. In this particular subject, to the recent events that are of public knowledge with the Guiding Pedagogical Framework and the negative derivations that have been produced. We were also clear in supporting its construction in a participative process of years of discussion and enrichment from the most diverse positions. Three days ago we signed as witness of honor in a letter of agreement to initiatives of the MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture) supporting the political position of the Paraguayan State. I mean to signify with this our full adhesion to the most elemental principles of human rights, gender equality, without discrimination, and protection of integrity of persons.
Wishing you success in this matter, I take this opportunity to greet you."
Miguel Angel Auad Domínguez (Petunia), president of CHOPA, asked where the mothers and fathers of all our transgender peers were, stressing that many that claim to defend the family, forget about gays, lesbians and mainly transgenders. We have families that many times have given in to the homophobic and fundamentalist speeches, abandoning their children due to these.
After considering the similitude of goals and objectives in common between CHOPA as the oldest LGBT organization in the country and SOMOSGAY as the youngest, announced the conformation of the Paraguayan LGBT Federation, from which they launch common agenda in the defense of human rights to LGBT citizens.
This is why SOMOSGAY as founder to the Paraguayan LGBT Federation and ILGA, expresses the preoccupation on the declarations brought in the act denominated “Queremos Mamá y Papá” (We want mom and dad), by their representatives that in other areas claimed that "Many other international organizations such as the United Nations, PAHO, WHO and World Bank are behind the ATTACK to families and promote and encourage the complaint of homosexuals to DESTROY the society and also our children."
We consider serious and worrying that these declarations had the support of parliamentarians, such as Senator Ana Maria de Acha who was for a long time president to the Human Rights Commission of the Senate. We deeply regret that after spending this time as president to the commission she has not understood the true value and read of the Universal Letter of Human Rights, base to our Constitution.
We regret and consider even more alarming that statements that are as hurtful as these and accusations that are even more serious like "the Ministry of Education wants to corrupt the soft innocence of the children" have been supported by the Vice-President of the Republic, elected, Federico Franco, in time to give declarations that base their rejection to equality for LGBT citizens distorting the National Constitution and betraying his training as physician, his conviction as liberal and appointment as Vice-President to ALL paraguayans, without distinction of sexual orientation, demonstrating a total incoherence. Our organization considers this to be a clear threat to the public power that are invested in them, on the validity of Human Rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizenry of Paraguay.
The success of the Festival for Equality and Freedom marks a milestone in the paraguayan history, and we thank the citizenry that showed with their support that the equality and freedom in our country are conquests that we all celebrate.
Paraguay moves towards full equality and freedom. SOMOSGAY seeks to contribute to this advance along with the democratic and participative citizenry that shapes it.
To see more pictures of the Festival, the blog of Zenoura has a gallery, that did a really good cover of the event.
We thank Javier Valdez, Tomas Carrer and Gabriel Jaeggi for the pictures of the Festival.