OAS to Chile: Court “biased” against lesbian couple

A tribunal linked to the Organization of American States ruled that Chile’s top court violated the rights of a lesbian couple.

According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Chilean Supreme Court overstepped their bounds by taking away custody of judge Karen Atala’s three children since she was in a same-sex relationship. The IACHR opposed the high court’s original 2004 opinion that the kids could be “psychologically damaged” by living with a lesbian couple and called on the Chilean government to take more active steps in combating discrimination based on sexual orientation.

One of Chile’s main gay rights groups- the Movement for the Integration and Liberation of Homosexuals- applauded the decision by the IACHR:

“Chile should end the practice of having first and second class citizens as soon as possible, so that homosexual mothers and fathers are never ever again separated from their children, just based on prejudice and ignorance.”

A spokeswoman for conservative president Sebastian Pinera said that the government would abide by the IACHR’s findings.

Image- BBC Mundo (Karen Atala’s relationship with Emma de Ramón led to a 2004 decision removing custody of her three children)
Online Sources- Santiago Times, BBC News, La Nacion