Washington Post reports on culture war in Mexico over gay marriage: notice parallels w/US?

[alp227]

The Washington Post has this lengthy article "With same-sex marriage law, Mexico City becomes battleground in culture wars". Culture war, eh? Well, I found some Mexican anti-equality talking points that, unsurprisingly, echo those by the very American anti-gay bigots (whose hearts also jump at the sight of a Mexican):

"The family is under attack," warned Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera, saying that the "perverse" measure would inflict psychological damage on "innocent children."

Mexico's ruling party does not want the Mexico City law to be the catalyst for a domino effect.

The attorney general filed a challenge with the Supreme Court, arguing that the law violates the constitution.

"The constitution of the republic speaks explicitly of marriage between a man and a woman," Calderón, a devout Catholic, said in early February.

According to the constitution, "men and women are equal under the law," and "this protects the organization and development of the family."

"Marriage, as it was originally conceived, as a union between a man and a woman, guarantees the future of the state and of Mexican society," Mariana Gómez del Campo, PAN's leader in Mexico City, told a radio interviewer.

Yawnnnnn...the same old "protect the children"/"marriage is defined strictly as between a man and a woman...why change it?" arguments (translated en espanol, of course!) that American anti-gay/anti-equality activists have been droning for years. Hardly any originality from Mexicans who oppose same-sex marriage.

Public opinion in Mexico City has 50% of residents supporting SSM, 38% opposed, and 12% unsure, according to a poll by the newspaper El Universal. The Washington Post reported: "Residents ages 18 to 39 were more likely to be supporters."

However, a national poll by PM Felipe Calderón's conservative National Action Party (PAN) "found that more than half of those polled opposed same-sex marriage and that 74 percent opposed adoption by gay couples."

Another interesting point in this article: according to Mexican gay rights activist Mariana Pérez Ocaña, "After abortion was legalized...states altered their constitutions to say life begins at conception." Not surprising, given that Mexico is largely Catholic like most Latin American nations and others with significant Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking populations.

[customerserviceguy]

1. Wouldn't you expect Catholic bigotry

to be a big part of the equal marriage debate in Mexico?