Father Hugo Valdemar, the spokesperson of Mexico’s Catholic church has accused the country’s anti-discrimination watchdog, Conapred, of persecution.
Conapred has requested that clergy abstain from making comments following the constant attacks by Catholic organizations since Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto submitted a proposal that would legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.
Valdemar was responding to a Conapred statement which said that a series of rallies last week opposing same-sex marriage were “absolutely discriminatory.” The cleric also attacked Conapred for taking a stance against an article in the Catholic outlet “Desde la Fe” entitled “No one is born gay” which claimed that ex-gay Dr. Richard Cohen of U.S.-based Positive Approaches To Healthy Sexuality has been successful in his use of conversion therapy.
RELATED: 12-Year-Old Mexican Boy Attempts to Block Thousands of Anti-Gay Protesters
According to Telesur, Valdemar said:
“There is persecution against the Church.
“It is something very serious, the state now determines the sexual behavior of citizens and forbids any attempt to return to normalcy…
“The state prohibits parents from helping their children to solve their sexual doubts and prohibits homosexuals from changing, but if they want to change their sex they fund that atrocity, it’s something diabolic.”
Same-sex marriage has been legalized in Mexico City and 9 of the nation’s 31 states. There are challenges in the 22 other states underway.
In Mexico, the Catholic Church is challenging the legalization of gay marriage. https://t.co/WFlld7ZhvB pic.twitter.com/vmfEtIVMT3
— PRI's The World (@pritheworld) September 14, 2016
Anti-gay activists are planning a mega-rally this Saturday in Mexico City.
Below, watch a video of a march in Celaya, Guanajuato, last weekend during which a 12-year-old boy was photographed in the middle of the street trying to block the path of 11,000 demonstrators.
Young boy protests crowd of thousands against gay marriage in Mexico. #PowerOfOne 💥 #loveislove #justiceisjustice pic.twitter.com/iU3FBNQAto
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) September 14, 2016
(Image via Facebook)
