The “neutral bathroom” that put the OAS Assembly in Lima at risk

The OAS General Assembly scheduled for October in Lima was almost suspended because the Peruvian Congress had rejected it that a “neutral bathroom” is installed, not binary, for the meeting, according to Foreign Minister César Landa.

The parliament, dominated by the right-wing opposition, rejected an agreement between the government of President Pedro Castillo and the inter-American organization on Thursday evening. claiming that it allowed the installation of toilets for transgender people during the General Assembly.

“I ask @congresoperu to reconsider the vote, which prevents the @ OEA_oficial General Assembly from being held in Lima”, tweeted the head of Peruvian diplomacy. For Landa this “seriously damages Peru’s international image”.

Finally, and after a complete turnaround, Congress cleared the Lima seat on Friday: with 100 votes in favor, 7 against and 7 abstentions, Parliament approved that there is at least one “neutral bathroom” at the top.

The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, he supported the exhortation of the Peruvian foreign minister and expressed on Twitter his hope that the meeting will take place in Lima.

Order

“We agree with the Foreign Minister of Peru @CesarLanda and thank the government for its efforts to host the # OASAssembly 2022. We hope AG ‘Together against inequality and discrimination’, for + rights for + people can be held in #Lima, as Peru has offered and agreed on countries “, tweeted the head of the OAS.

The deputy Alejandro Muñante, of the ultra-conservative Renovación Popular party, defended the decision of the Parliament, arguing that “given the greater urgency in our country and in our region, the OAS, with the excuse of its event, tries to smuggle toilets for trans who have not yet been legislated in Peru“.

The vote that rejects the installation of an inclusive bathroom it was approved with 55 votes in favor, 44 against and 16 abstentions. The bathroom of discord appears thus in the frustrated agreement: “The government must guarantee adequate access to toilets (…) and must provide, in addition to common bathrooms, individual bathrooms and at least one neutral bathroom”.

Almagro shared on Twitter a letter he received from the Coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite, Intersex Organizations (LGBTTTI) and sex workers from the region, in which they qualify as a “pretext of hatred” the refusal of Congress to the neutral bathroom.

The group points out that the Congress decision contradicts the motto of the General Assembly, “Together against inequality and discrimination”, which the government of Peru has chosen as the host country. The Ombudsman also exposed his criticisms of the Legislature on Twitter.

my God

“We ask @congresoperu to reconsider its position on the conduct of the @OAS Assembly in Lima. We reject that the reasons for this decision include discriminatory criteria against trans people and that reference is made to non-existent gender ideology, “said the Ombudsman.

Congress supports it A new agreement must be signed to hold the Assembly in Limawhere the mention of the “neutral bathroom” is not included because this implies an intervention in the domestic law of Peru, through what they consider “gender ideology”.

“(We) agree with the Assembly only that without a neutral bathroom (…), the only thing they have to do is eliminate the paragraph relating to the bathroom, “said Ernesto Bustamante, legislator of Fujimori, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Congress.” They are structures only for this Assembly, without generate international obligations in the future “, justified the Foreign Minister on his side.

Reversing the vote seems complex because religious and cultural beliefs arise. “Here God must come into our life and We cannot allow the entry of these ideologies for any reason (gender) “, said the deputy Mery Infantes. The communist deputy Guido Bellido, former prime minister of Castillo, said that” they must come (those of the OAS) respecting our traditions “.

AFP agency

PB