Tolerance in Mexico
When Vicente Fox was voted into office he promised change. Some of it has been bad, but some of it has been very good for Mexico. The last time I was there I saw more ramps and elevators. The disABLED were important, not just an afterthought, and so were the dozens of indigenous people who lived in the country. Now there's a new campaign that focuses on tolerence.
The campaign is part of a new law, signed by President Vicente Fox in June 2003, that outlaws several types of discrimination, including bias based on sexual preference. The law also requires federal agencies to launch campaigns to promote tolerance.While gays and lesbians have experienced a growing acceptance within Mexican society, they still have a long way to go before obtaining full equal rights. And there are still occasional reports of attacks against transvestites and people suspected of being gay...
In one of the radio spots, a mother prepares dinner before her son brings his date home for the first time. She asks her son several questions about how long the two have been dating and the date's likes and dislikes.
Then, she asks, ``What's your date's name?''
``Oscar,'' her son replies, revealing to the audience that he is gay.
A narrator then says equality begins with acceptance of those who are different.
If anyone thinks, well they could do more. Frankly, this is a huge step for Mexico. It's a mostly male dominated society that is slowly changing, and stuff like this doesn't happen overnight. Does it even happen here? We're taught to be tolerant, yet you can't find it here either. There's more of an understanding, more of an acceptance. Homosexuality exists, but our government doesn't do enough to stop the discrimination.
