A few days ago we reported on how Uruguay’s government will drop a ban against homosexuals joining the military. Hence, it may be possible that gays can openly serve in the military in Uruguay before U.S. soldiers get that chance.In nearby Peru, however, authorities engaging in a cleanup of the country’s police forces have decided to target gay officers:
Peru has announced that it will ban homosexuals from the police force for damaging the image of the institution.Peru's ban on homosexuality in the police and military was in the books as recently as 2004. Yet the new rule tries to emulate the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell policy" by refusing to openly acknowledge gay police officers. (Is it any wonder why critics of the measure consider it as unconstitutional?)
The law is one of several new regulations put forward by the Interior Minister, Mercedes Cabanillas…
The law states that any police officer who has sexual relations with someone of the same gender will be indefinitely suspended from the police force.
The same applies to officers who have extra-marital relations - their actions are also deemed to cause scandal and denigrate the institution's image.
As one Uruguay takes two steps forward in its treatment of gays, Peru takes five steps back. How unfortunate and sad, to say the least.
Image- BBC News
Online Sources- BBC News, AP, abc.net.au, The Latin Americanist
I have a feeling that if the Peruvian police force were to rid itself of corruption, and the that if the people felt as if they could trust a police officer to do right by the law, the fact that there are police officers that choose to sleep with a member of the same sex wouldn't phase too many people.
ReplyDelete