An Argentinian swim school has blocked
a lesbian mother from enrolling her daughter, claiming that their
classes are for “traditional families.”
Andrea Rivera married her wife Sabrina
in 2011, a year after Argentinian lawmakers approved a gay marriage
law.
According to Minutouno.com,
Rivera was told by Patricia Cirigliano, the director of the First
Swimming School for Babies Argentina in Belgrano, a northern
neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires, that students must be
accompanied by their mothers for the first four classes and by their
fathers for the following four classes.
“At this point I explained to her
that Francesca has two moms,” Rivera said. “She kept quiet and
asked me how could this be. I responded that she is the daughter of
an equal marriage.”
“She told me that the classes were
for traditional families. She explained that the problem is that the
average water is similar to intrauterine and exposure would hurt my
daughter.”
Rivera said that she threatened to file
a discrimination complaint, to which Cirigliano responded: “Do what
you want.”
Maria Rachid, a local lawmaker, has
requested a meeting with the school, which is scheduled to take place
Tuesday.
Rivera said that she wanted to hear
what school officials have to say before filing a discrimination
complaint against the school.