A leading anti-gay marriage activist in
Colombia has yet to refute claims that he's gay.
According to a report by Blabbeando,
two men have accused Javier Suarez Pascagaza, the director of the
Husband and Wife Foundation, of being gay.
Suarez's organization has worked to
undo the recent marriages of four gay couples.
The couples were recognized by separate
judges in cases filed after lawmakers failed to enact a law
recognizing gay unions, in defiance of a 2011 court order which
called on legislators to act before a June 20 deadline. The court's
ruling stated that if a law is not approved, then “gay couples can
go to a notary and with the same solemnity of a heterosexual marriage
enter a union similar to one between a heterosexual couple.”
The government, however, has argued
that the court did not mandate the issuance of marriage licenses to
gay couples.
Judges disagreed and awarded three of
the couples a marriage license. A separate judge stopped short of
calling the union of two men a marriage.
Suarez's nascent organization
challenged those rulings. In two cases, Suarez convinced judges to
annul the marriages. However, they were later restored on appeal.
In separate statements, two of Suarez's
former classmates claimed that he's gay.
In comments to El
Espectador, Raul Quintana, a gay man, alleged that Suarez's
sexual orientation was common knowledge before Suarez was expelled
from the Jesuit school they both attended.
“I can't stand the hypocrisy that's
almost always behind acts of homophobia,” Quintana said. “Suarez
has the least authority to point his finger at us.”
In a 20-minute interview with W
Radio, Suarez said that accusing gay rights opponents of being
gay was a common ploy used by activists. However, he did not deny
outright that he's gay. And after speaking to Suarez, the
interviewer revealed that he had agreed to the interview on the
condition that it steer clear of personal questions. Suarez
reiterated that his organization was not affiliated with the Roman
Catholic Church.