Columbian politician calls LGBT people ‘non-heterosexuals’
(Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)
The former President of Columbia has prompted a backlash from LGBT groups in the South American country after referring to LGBT people as “non-heterosexuals.”
On Thursday, former President Alvaro Uribe Velez posted a video to his Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage LGBT people to vote for conservative candidate Ivan Duque in the upcoming round of the Colombian presidential election.
According to the BBC, Uribe Vele stated in the video that he wanted to show his support for marriage equality and the rights for LGBT people to adopt, as well as abortion rights.
Sobre colombianos no heterosexuales que apoyan a Iván Duque Pte y a Marta Lucía Ramírez VicePte pic.twitter.com/oGD4hAUkAZ
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) 31 May 2018
However, many people took to social media to criticise Uribe Vele’s use of the term “non-heterosexuals.”
The hashtag #ColombianosNoHeterosexuales appeared on Twitter by Thursday evening and was used by tens of thousands of Columbians.
Related: An incredible court ruling just ordered 16 countries to make same-sex marriage legal
One person highlighted that in other Spanish speaking countries in South America, the term homosexual is used without fuss.
(@MartnDeFrancis2 / Twitter)
Others took a slightly more humorous approach.
For those not in the know, the “I’m straight, I’m bi, I’m gay” meme recently took over the queer internet.
The meme, which is styled in an equality and diversity-esque checklist format, offers a box to tick for the sexual orientation of your preference.
Uribe as President in 2008 (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
But of course, the final option, which is created by the Twitter user at large, has fallen into hilarious parody.
Uribe Vele’s statement wasn’t immune from this, and quickly became immortalised in a meme.
(@harryxbyers / Twitter)
The South American country of 45 million people is heavily Roman Catholic, and there is significant discrimination against gay people, despite recent court rulings granting rights to same-sex couples.
In 2016, the first same-sex wedding took place in Columbia, which was followed in 2017 with the first legal recognition of a polyamorous relationship.
The men have been legally recognised as the first ‘polyamorous family’ in the country.
Actor Victor Hugo Prada and his two partners, journalist Manuel Jose Bermudez and sports instructor John Alejandro Rodriguez, signed the legal documents in June 2017.
These documents establish them as a family with inheritance rights in the eyes of the law.
Victor Hugo Prada along, Manuel Jose Bermudez and John Alejandro Rodriguez (credit to Facebook/Carkis Cardozo)
In 2014, a Columbian politician made headlines after stating he wanted to ban Shakira because he’s outraged at her new music video.
Marco Fidel Ramirez, of the Public Option party, took exception at the ‘Can’t Remember To Forget You’ music video, which shows the singer frolicking around in her underwear with Rihanna, and smoking cigars.
