Noticias

In this spirit, the bicentennial year, we also remember the paraguayans that dreamt and fought for a country without exclusions, a land free of evil, the yvy marane'y that the guarani nation seeked in the land, calling to a reflection on the past and the future for our country, presenting a Paraguay free of exclusions, inequalities, that embraces its diversity keeping its unity.
The invitations and flyers that were made for the event helped to create a social debate that in moments generated regretful homophobic episodes by legislators of the city and the Parliament, accompanied by religious and fundamentalist sectors that publicly asked the imprisonment of the responsibles to the event, rejecting it and calling out the citizens to do the same.
The event resulted in great success, gathering over a hundred people that went on with music and theater in the event and accompanied the couples who were making out in front of the National Congress with a round of applauses. This was followed by the lecture of the statement and reflection done on that day and there were no complains. Citizens expressed their support to the manifestants with shouts of encouragement and honks, going against the religious homophobes that tried to dim the event.
Nevertheless, the response of the conservative front retributed swiftly. The Councillor to Asuncion, Yamil Esgaib from the Colorado Party, even attacked the office of Councillor Karina Rodriguez by tearing out the flyers and expressing homophobic insults. Days later, during the the session of the Municipal Board, the Councillor Hugo Ramirez again presented a minute requesting again the censorship of the media to avoid covering any sort of news that deals with gays and lesbians.
At the end of this meeting, Councillor Yamil Esgaib bumped into several activists from SOMOSGAY and then insulted them with expressions such as "fuck them", "abnormals", "sick" and threatening to "beat them up" if they come close to him.
Nonetheless. these declarations will be overshadowed on the next day by the MP of the ultraconservative UNACE party, who during his turn in the ordinary session of the Chamber of Deputies, referred to the LGBT citizenry for over 20 minutes with these words (transcripted from the diary of sessions of the Chamber):
"The National Congress is being disrepected, once more we are disrespecting citizens, disrespecting moral, good customs, and I am referring to these homosexual scoundrels, shameless that come again to make out in front of the national congress. We can not have this type of terrorists that attempt against moral and good customs, because they are really committing a reckless act and even delinquent.
I also want to say to prosecutors, that I believe that among them there is also a group of… of those on the other side because, why would they go and chase women who undress in petrol stations and do not chase these homosexual scoundrels that come here to make out in front of the National Congress.
These homosexuals, group of gangsters, with this Simon Cazal as the head of them, a group of exhibitionists, these characters who destroy our morals and the good customs of the motherland. Therefore I ask prosecutors to take measures against them, it is a shame what is happening. My most disgusting rejection to the scary characters who are regretfully paraguayan. Thank you mister president."
This generated at the same time the response of the Colorado MP, Jose Chamorro, who was the only one to criticize the declarations of his Oviedist colleague Jose Lopez Chavez, to which he referred to as "regretful".
"We must think ten times before saying stupidities" he manifested, at the same time expressing his indignation on what the MP from UNACE described as "lack of respect to citizens". He went on saying that respect must be given to sexual preference of people and especially to youth. "What is truly shameful and damages citizens is the robbery that many politicians commit in the State." He further explained that Lopez Chavez's attitude was "rude" and that is detrimental for the Chamber of Deputies. The critique from Chamorro had no further response from Lopez Chavez.
On May 25th, a draft reform of ordinances currently in disuse was presented to the Municipal Board, such ordinances were created during the dictatorship of Stroessner. These amendments were presented by Councillor Yamil Esgaib that pretends to penalize with high fines the acts that go "against morals and good customs". Esgaib considers in his foundation that the Kiss-in and any other type of public display of affection by gays and lesbians must be penalized to "protect children". In the same line, his colleague, insists in regulating the press in the country by not only a draft ordinance but a bill that forbids to transmit images or content related to LGBT people in the country at least in the newscasts during the "family hours" in television.

SOMOSGAY and the Paraguayan LGBT Federation prepare actions on this events that both legislative bodies , in time to thank for the support received by the citizens, the media and workers in the press, who have been solidary enough to support this activity as a sustained revindication.
We celebrate the successful day and the participation of the citizenry in general and also the excellent reception and response of the implications of the event. Is it undoubtedly an advance that sets a very positive path towards a society that is more inclusive, free of sexism, homophobia and discrimination.