Colombia’s gay community on Tuesday held a symbolic make-out session in front of congress in protest of a senator’s derogatory comments on homosexuality.
The make-out was held ito protest conservative Senator Roberto Gerlein’s comments, who last week called gay sex “repulsive and excremental” during a debate on a proposed gay marriage bill in Congress.
Senate President Roy Barreras publicly apologized on behalf of Congress to the community for Gerlein’s speech and is allowing the “Besaton” or “kissathon” as a symbol of tolerance, Caracol Radio reported.
“The idea is to bring together all citizens, not just homosexual, to come together and be part of the kissathon as a way of supporting civil rights that make us free,” the event’s organizer Angelica Lozano told newspaper El Tiempo before the event.
For his part, Senator Gerlein has said that there is no need to apologize because “I did not offend anyone and I can’t ask forgiveness for what I think.”
Comenzó la #Besatón en pro de los derechos de la comunidad LGBTI twitter.com/ELTIEMPO/statu…
— EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) November 27, 2012
