A demonstration in Asuncion, Paraguay
on Saturday demanded that lawmakers approve a gay marriage law.
Over 500 activists participated in the
9th annual evening event, marching from the steps of
Antequera to the Pantheon of Heroes, Asuncion's memorial to the
country's fallen soldiers.
Demonstrators carried signs with
slogans such as “Homosexuality is not a disease, it is enjoyed with
protection.”
Analia Gonzalez, one of the protesters,
told the AP: “This march is about gay and lesbian pride, but we are
also demanding that Congress approve in the future a marriage law for
people of the same sex.”
“And finally we are protesting the
government of President Federico Franco because he approved by decree
the use of genetically modified corn and cotton seeds,” he added.
In 2010, soon after neighboring
Argentina approved marriage equality, gay activists in Paraguay began
lobbying for a similar reform and introduced a bill to Congress. The
Roman Catholic church backed several demonstrations in opposition to
the proposed legislation, which lawmakers have yet to act on.