Guatemala’s Congress has ditched plans to ban same-sex marriage and the teaching that “anything other than heterosexuality is normal” in schools.
It comes after fierce backlash to the Protection of Life and Family law being passed by 160 votes in favour to just eight votes against on 8 March.
To come into effect, Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala’s president and a conservative, had to give it his signature – though he stunned supporters of the legislation when he threatened to veto it.
President Giammattei stated that the law was a violation of the country’s constitution, as well as international agreements that Guatemala is aligned with.
The legislation predominantly targeted the LGBTQ+ community and would have worsened punishments for those seeking an abortion – a practice that is already illegal in the country except in cases where the pregnancy poses a threat to life.
The Civil Code of Guatemala would have been revised to “expressly prohibit same-sex marriages” and the teaching that “anything other than heterosexuality is normal” would have been prohibited – meaning a huge setback for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
Lawmakers have now scrapped it entirely, which activists in Guatemala, such as Alma Chacón, are elated about.
She told the BBC that the Protection of Life and Family law would send the country back to the Middle Ages and urged those working to advance LGBTQ+ equality “not to let our guard down” as similar legislation could appear in the future.
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