Gay rights activists in Venezuela are
calling on lawmakers to legalize gay marriage.
The group Equal Venezuela Civil
Association (Asociacion Civil Venezuela Igualitaria) will introduce
a marriage bill to the country's National Assembly on Friday, January
31.
The group said a petition in support of
the bill's passage has attracted more than 18,000 signatures and that
more than 40 social groups have endorsed the proposed legislation.
“The main purpose of the bill is to
have equal rights, legitimize our close relationship with the
[Venezuelan] state, to protect our families and to achieve respect
for all types of love and forms of families,” an ACVI spokesman
told Venezuela
Analysis. “The bill will succeed to the extent that the groups
endorsing the project do not lose enthusiasm.”
The ACVI said that four lawmakers
signed their petition.
(Related: Chilean
Senate approves bill legalizing civil unions for gay couples.)