U.S.-sponsored event draws LGBT crowd in Colombia
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Gay Politics 5/31/2013
More than 150 participated in a panel discussion Thursday night in Bogotá, Colombia, about the participation of LGBT individuals in government as elected and appointed officials. The event was part of a four-day program made possible by a public-private partnership of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Participants included Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute President Chuck Wolfe; lesbian Bogotá City Councilwoman Angélica Lozano; Tatiana Piñeros, a transgender woman whom Bogotá Mayor Gustavo Petro last year appointed to run the city’s social welfare agency and Francisco Herrero, director of the Democratic National Institute, which encourages underrepresented groups to become involved in the South American country’s political process. Marcela Sánchez, executive director of Colombia Diversa, a nationwide LGBT advocacy organization, moderated the panel, according to a report in the Washington Blade:
Wolfe said the most basic reason he feels it is important for LGBT people to become involved in the political process is because there are some people “who think that being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is something wrong.”
“The basic premise of serving in public office means you represent people,” he said. “They see you as a fellow person who represents you and other elected or appointed officials also have to work with you and they begin to say there’s nothing wrong with being gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender.”Wolfe said the most basic reason he feels it is important for LGBT people to become involved in the political process is because there are some people “who think that being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is something wrong.”
“The basic premise of serving in public office means you represent people,” he said. “They see you as a fellow person who represents you and other elected or appointed officials also have to work with you and they begin to say there’s nothing wrong with being gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender.”
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The panel took place at the start of a four-day USAID-sponsored training the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice will conduct with Colombia Diversa that is designed to teach participants how to become involved in the South American country’s political process.
