Homophobia Up in Mexico After Gay Marriage Push Agence France-Presse
go to original July 13, 2016

The Mexican national soccer team is standing up against homophobia at its games. The team released a public service announcement titled "Abrazados por el Fútbol" ("Hugging for Soccer") in April in support of eliminating a chant that is considered by many to be homophobic. The PSA features top players from the team, offering advice such as "Everyone deserves respect." (Selección Nacional de México)

Homophobia has surged in Mexico since President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed to legalize same-sex marriage in May, a gay rights group said, reporting 26 hate-fueled murders this year.

Alejandro Brito, head of the Citizen Commission against Homophobic Hate Crimes, said there was a “defamation campaign” against gays.

“This can trigger a wave of violence and an increase in attacks against homosexuals. We think that it’s important for the authorities to take care of this before a tragedy takes place,” he said yesterday.

“Homophobia has worsened this year due to the opposition to the initiative that the president has sent to Congress,” Brito said at a news conference.

“We don’t want an Orlando in Mexico,” he said, referring the murder of 49 people by a gunman at a gay nightclub in the Florida city in June.

Pena Nieto has proposed a constitutional reform that would legalize same-sex marriage nationwide after the Supreme Court ruled last year that state bans were unconstitutional.

Currently only a handful of the country’s 31 states and Mexico City allow such weddings.

Read the rest at The Indian Express

Related: 'We Applaud the Mexican President's and Supreme Court's Support for Marriage Equality' (The Huffington Post)

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