Hundreds of people have gathered together in a park Colombia to kiss each other in support of a gay couple harassed by homophobes for kissing each other.
Same-sex couples staged the “Besaton” – meaning “kiss marathon” or “kiss-a-thon” – in the park in capital city Bogotá where the pair were confronted.
The group of women, one of whom wielding a broomstick, hurl abuse at the couple for kissing, demanding they leave.
The protest, on Sunday, came together quickly via social media after multiple videos of the ugly incident a few days earlier went viral.
In the video, the women shout at the couple, telling them “sex is not allowed” in the park, “especially not in front of children”.
The young men ask what sex the women are referring to, having only kissed.
The women are also heard hurling threats towards the couple, with one trying to hit the men with her broomstick.
Nos vemos mañana a alas 11am en Cl 49a #69-05 bogota. Vamos a besarnos todes como forma de protesta PACÍFICA BESATÓN A LA NAPOLITANA ¡únete y comparte! Gracias ️ pic.twitter.com/S0ym1yHnxA
— Juan Pablo Jaramillo (@Juanjaramilloe) July 30, 2022
Huge crowd gathers in Colombia park for gay ‘kiss-a-thon’
In response, a few days later a huge crowd gathered at the rally in the nearby park for the “kiss-a-thon”.
Queer couples kissed each other as others waved signs with messages including, “Kisses are signs of affection, not a crime”.
Bogotá mayor Claudia López, who is gay, condemned the incident and tweeted she’d “fight until equality is the norm”.
Hoy se llevó a cabo una besatón en el mismo lugar donde una pareja de chicos fue agredida por darse un beso. #MásBesosMásAmor Erick Morales para Sentiido. pic.twitter.com/SFEkfNT4c0
— Sentiido (@Sentiido) July 31, 2022
Las expresiones de amor, como darse un beso en espacio público no es un delito, la homofobia si es un delito‼️
A palo sacaron a 2 hombres q se besaban en el parque el Salitre d Bogotá, hoy la población LGTBIQ llenó d color arcoiris ese parque e hizo besatón. Muak tené tú beso pic.twitter.com/LJXSotaV6O
— Mayte Misas Tique ️ (@maytemisast) July 31, 2022
Besaton contra la discriminación y homofobia que sufrió una pareja gay en un parque de la capital. • “se van de aquí” les decían mientras los intentaban agredir, días después el parque se les lleno de centenares de m4riks, lesbianas, trans, personas LGBTQ+, disidencias sexuales, pic.twitter.com/gTG9I935N5
— _ste_ban_ (@_ste_ban_) August 1, 2022
Hoy en el Salitre dijimos que no nos van a seguir intimidando. Vamos a seguir amando y viviendo en libertad así les incomode ️#Besaton pic.twitter.com/ZmiRhQz8Eo
— ℭ (@Camilejo03) August 1, 2022
Colombia legalised same-sex marriage in 2016. However such homophobic incidents are sadly not uncommon for LGBTIQ+ people.
Sunday’s rally was also not Bogotá’s first “kiss-a-thon” in protest of homophobia.
In 2019, an angry father abused a gay couple in a shopping centre after they hugged and held hands.
After that footage went viral, dozens of same-sex couples gathered nearby to stage a “kiss-a-thon” against homophobic discrimination.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
No Comment