Peru: Gay Marriage Becomes Presidential Election Issue · Global Voices
Isabel Guerra

Cake at Gay Wedding. (Antonio Guerra/Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The issue of same-sex marriage has been discussed among the Peruvian public for some time, but only recently has it become a part of the political platforms of presidential candidates [es]. The reason for this change comes from statements made by a representative of the Catholic Church in Peru, firmly rejecting the notion of marriage between people of the same sex [es],  which generated a media frenzy that, in turn, has provoked all types of reactions among activists, bloggers, newspaper columnists, common citizens and, as mentioned previously, among the presidential candidates in the election this year. The candidates are using the situation to define their positions on the issue.
Former president Alejandro Toledo (of the party Perú Posible), who leads the recent polls for President [es], confirms that his suggested political program is examining civil unions between homosexuals and working “toward an inclusive society. This is not a repressive State.” Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros, candidate of the party  Fuerza Social [es], has declared himself in favor of reforming Peru's laws in order to have marriages between couples of the same sex [es].  Meanwhile, other candidates are considering less radical legal measures. Luis  Castañeda (of  Solidaridad Nacional) has proposed giving inheritance benefits, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (of Alianza por el Gran Cambio [es]) suggests establishing civil unions [es], as does  Keiko Fujimori (of Fuerza 2011).
Political analysts in the media share the opinion that this issue doesn't seem to be an attempt to win voters’ ballots, although in a democracy it is always good for the candidates’ images to be seen defending the rights of minorities. Meanwhile, opinions in the local blogosphere (and on Twitter) appeared immediately.
El Davo indicates on his blog  DaV [es] that,
El  debate entre los candidatos al sillón presidencial está girando en  torno a tres puntos: Consumo de drogas, aborto y unión civil entre  personas del mismo sexo.”
Peruanista [es] alerts us on his blog [es] that, despite the subject having been politicized by the election:
es importante que se discuta la igualdad de derechos civiles de los ciudadanos peruanos que son gays, lesbianas, bisexuales y transgénero (LGBT), a nivel público y de forma respetuosa.
Diego Avendaño, in Desde la Clandestinidad [es], points out a real problem challenging same-sex couples in Peru:
El caso es que muchas veces las parejas homosexuales no  son reconocidas ante el Estado cuando deben reclamar bienes heredados o  para tomar decisiones sobre la salud de la pareja, como sí es posible  con las parejas (heterosexuales) casadas…
Tonnio from Gay Como Tu [es] makes a review of differences and similarities among the legal measures of civil marriage and free civil union (this last being suggested by several candidates), and links them to current laws related to the issue under debate, indicating that:
debemos  recordar que de lo que se trata aquí es de obtener los mismos  beneficios conyugales como el hecho de no querer (sic) desamparados ante  la ley después de tantos años de convivencia o en caso de enfermedad,  viudez, herencia, hijos y demás derechos que encierra la figura marital.
The collective Respeto X Respeto [es] suggests the de-regulation of marriage as is set out right now in the Peruvian Civil Code:
El  matrimonio no es otra cosa que un contrato entre dos partes… en la  que las partes deben decidir por ellas mismas qué reglas cautelan mejor  sus intereses… Así, se dejaría de exigir que se trate de la unión de  “hombre y mujer”, pudiendo hacerse referencia a la unión de dos  personas.
Alvaro Felipe, notices the opportunistic, politicized use of the issue, and on his personal blog [es] calls for maintaining the level of debate:
si  tú te arañas hablando de tolerancia con los homosexuales, o eres un  candidato improvisado más que usa ese tema en campaña, recuerda que la  tolerancia que pregonas deberías aplicarla con quienes no están de  acuerdo contigo. Sino eres un hipócrita más que está seguro que todos le  creen.
Peru: Drag Queens dressing in costume of viceroyalty in the Gay Pride Day parade. (Photo: MANNOVER/Flickr. Used under Creative Commons licenase CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The debate has extended to Twitter where it has been rougher and more caustic:
@Pornosgay declares:
campaña electoral hacia la presidencia de Perú ha encontrado en la legalización del matrimonio homosexual un gran tema de debate
Alejandro Toledo (@atoledomanrique), candidate for Perú Posible and predecessor of the current president Alan García, clarifies:
No planteamos matrimonio gay. Proponemos la Unión Civil como un mecanismo legal de protección de derechos.
Gio Infante (@gioinfante) gives his opinion on the matter:
La  agenda del matrimonio y la unión civil es frívola, ¿sabían que en Perú  cada 5 días muere asesinada una lesbiana, travesti o gay?
Mapi Aguirre (@estroginoxxx) continues:
Toledo quiere legalizar drogas luego Bruce union civil gay Castañeda quiere hacer de Peru un MEGAPUENTE Y Keiko sacar al padre #CIRCO
From a constitutional perspective, Agustin Haya (@agustinhaya) reports:
La  Constitución del Perú desde 1979 no precisa género en el matrimonio.  Las uniones civiles homosexuales o lesbianas están protegidas
Vilma Granados (@vilmavgc) observes:
@elecciones tantas cosas de las q tratar y todos los candidatos solo hablan del matrimonio gay
Armando Solís (@Belloperuviano) distributed on Twitter a message from the Facebook page  Yo apoyo el matrimonio gay en Perú/ I support gay marriage for Peru [es]. The complete message reads:
…Es  tiempo de que en nuestro país, se apruebe la Peru: Union Civil Gay,  puesto que la comunidad gay peruana, por el momento no tiene ninguna  clase de derecho, a pesar que la Unión Civil, no es del todo  igualitaria, sería un primer gran paso para el Yo estoy a favor de la  legalización del Matrimonio Gay, en nuestro país.
Cristhian Rojas (@ChristhianRS) refers to Fuerza Social party as FS when he says:
haha  FS cree que vive en un país moderno, liberal… casi europeo para  proponer “matrimonio gay”. Demasiado lejos para ser el Perú.
Agustin Gamarra (@A_Gamarra) declares:
@atoledomanrique NO AL MATRIMONIO GAY EN PERÚ, que se vayan a casar a Argentina pero q no se corrompa la sociedad
Ale Ramirez (@alesuszero) responds to the Catholic Church's statements:
Los gays iran al cielo, el obispo no RT @larepublica_pe: Obispos del Perú emiten comunicado en el que rechazan el matrimonio homosexual
Diego (@Mapache9999) also reacts to the bishops’ position on the issue:
A ver, que rechacen iglesias que protegen pedofilos RT @larryportera: #Peru obispos rechazan aborto y matrimonio gay http://twurl.nl/0qws5p
As the election date, April 10th, nears, this issue will surely be politicized further, as much by the candidate advertisements as the activist analysts and other members of society. The issue and its repercussions will be followed to see if finally a negociation is possible between supporters and opponents in the legal rights of LGBT citizens, which ultimately is what the supporters are calling for.