Thousands of people marched through the
streets of Lima – the capital and largest city of Peru – for LGBT
rights on Saturday.
Marchers carrying rainbow flags and
posters called for marriage equality. Organizers said that they
wanted to send a message to Peru's next president.
“We want to push for full rights on
recognition, marriage equality, gender laws and hate crime laws,”
Gabriela Zavaleta, a spokesperson for Matrimonio Igualitario Peru,
told reporters at the march.
Out lawmaker Carlos Bruce told
demonstrators that those opposed to homosexuality don't have to sleep
with a gay man or lesbian “but they cannot discriminate, cannot
reject humans.”
(Related: Peruvian
Congressman Carlos Bruce comes out gay.)
Currently, Peru does not recognize the
relationships of gay couples. Gay couples can marry in Argentina,
Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and parts of Mexico.