Anti-gay law in Nicaragua

Anti-gay law in Nicaragua

On June 11, Nicaragua's National Assembly passed Latin America's most repressive sodomy law. The Sandinista bloc opposed the law but was outvoted by the right-wing forces of the pro-US UNO coalition.

By 43 votes to 39, the National Assembly passed Article 205 of the Penal Code, which reads: "An individual is guilty of the crime of sodomy if he or she induces, promotes, propagandises, or practises in a scandalous manner, the cohabitation between individuals of the same sex, and said individual will face punishment of 1 to 3 years in prison ..."

Only two UNO assembly members voted to oppose the Article and one UNO member abstained. All Sandinista members voted to oppose the anti-gay bill, which will become law if signed by President Violeta Chamorro.

Passage of the article caught the Nicaraguan feminist and gay/lesbian movements by surprise, since the article was added on to a progressive anti-rape law in committee. [Via Pegasus.]

From GLW issue 61