U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and husband celebrate LGBT Pride

Through a tweet sent this morning on the official Twitter account of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic ambassador James "Wally" Brewster and his husband Bob Satawake sent this powerful message to all Dominicans in observance of the month of June as LGBT pride month.

Since his nomination to the diplomatic post Brewster has weathered constant attacks from conservative and religious fundamentalist in the United States and the Dominican Republic and, in response, he has not shied away from engaging those attacks head on with dignity and, as this powerful video shows, strength.

"A message in light of LGBT pride month":

Related:

• U.S. ambassador to Dominican Republic chides antigays (Reuters)

Reactions:

• U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic and his husband male powerful 'LGBT pride' video (Towleroad)
• U.S. ambassador celebrates pride month with husband, asks "isn't it time to stop hating?" (Joe.My.God.)
• Ambassador Wally Brewster and husband send LGBT pride greeting from Dominican Republic (Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida Blog - Miami Herald)

Previously:

• U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican republic and husband meet with Dominican President and wife (March 24, 2014)
• Diplomats boycott event after husband of gay U.S. ambassador is asked not to attend (February 19, 2014)
• Diplomatic row brewing over U.S. Ambassador's decision to meet with Dominican LGBT leaders (February 14, 2014)
• U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic and husband meet with Dominican LGBT advocates (February 11, 2014)
• Dominican cardinal uses the Spanish word for "faggot" to refer to U.S. ambassador nominee (July 2, 2014)

US Ambassador James Brewster and husband meet with Dominican president and wife

L-R: US Ambassador James Brewster, Dominican president Danilo Medina, his wife Cándida and Brewster's husband Bob Satawake (via Twitter)

Earlier today the new US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James "Wally" Brewster and his husband Bob Satawake were among several diplomats and their spouses who met with Dominican president Danilo Medina and his wife Cándida at a ceremonial diplomatic cocktail that had been previously postponed.

The event sparked a diplomatic row earlier this year when Vatican envoy to the Dominican Republic Jude Thaddeus Okolo - in charge of the event - sent a private letter to all diplomats announcing that ambassador Brewster's husband would not be invited claiming that to do so would violate the Dominican constitution which bans same-sex marriages. Diplomats reacted in anger and refused to attend the event unless Mr. Satawake was extended an invitation.

Vatican envoy Jude Thaddeus Okolo at today's diplomatic event.

The Vatican envoy must have gotten the message because the event finally took place earlier today with the attendance of Mr. Satawake.

Dominican Vice President forced to withdraw homophobic 'Family Code' draft from consideration: In the meantime the big news in the Dominican Republic last week was the swift introduction and removal of proposed changes to the island's 'Family Code' which would have championed 'traditional Catholic family models' into the Dominican legislature.

Homophobic Dominican cardinal Lopez Rodriguez and the Dominican Vice President

Dominican Vice President Margarita Cedeño led the draft language committee and requested that the proposal be withdrawn almost as quick as it had been announced arguing that she now understood that it should have been first presented to the public for debate before being presented to the Dominican legislature for approval.

The bill drew withering criticism from left and right with newspaper 7 Dias calling it "a Trojan horse launched by the most extreme wing of conservative Dominican ideology.

The paper said the proposed language championed heterosexual marriages above all mentioning single parent households only twice and only when talking about welfare recipients.

Proposed changes to the family code would also have narrowed down and eliminated reasons why a couple should be granted a divorce except for one single expansion:  In the case a partner demonstrates "homosexual or lesbian conduct."

The proposed language also drew criticism from left an right for lowering the age at which someone was allowed to marry from 18 years of age to 16 in the case of boys and 14 in the case of girls.

No word from Bishop Okolo on whether he deems 14 year old girls ready for marriage.

The Washington Blade visits LGBT advocates in the Dominican Republic: Finally. in light of these developments my friend Michael K. Lavers traveled to the Dominican Republic a couple of weeks ago and gauged the impact of the arrival of the openly gay US ambassador to the Dominican Republic for The Washington Blade.

Many of those advocates were the only ones who spoke up for Ambassador Brewster before he took office and Brewster thanked them for it at a meeting that took place in February which also drew homophobic responses from the religious right in the island.

“We are defending a person who is homosexual, that is gay and has come to occupy his country’s public position in the Dominican Republic,” said Delvis Ventura of the Dominican LGBT-rights and HIV prevention organization Amigos Siempre Amigos, “We are defending the right that we have to occupy public positions equally as gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people. This is why we are defending Wally.”

Brewster had elicited some criticism from the Dominican religious right when he met with a number of LGBT-advocates in February as well.

Reaction:

• Gay U.S. Ambassador, husband meet with Dominican president (The Washington Blade)

Dominican Republic: Diplomats boycott event after husband of gay U.S. Ambassador is asked not to attend

Bob Satawake and his husband James "Wally" Brewster as photographed by Dominican magazine Ritmo Social.

Just as it seemed a diplomatic row might have been averted last week when the Dominican Republic expressed full support for out U.S. ambassador James "Wally" Brewster and denounced its own ambassador to the Vatican for publicly criticizing a meeting Brewster held with LGBT advocates, a brand new diplomatic controversy has emerged over Brewster's marriage to Bob Satawake.

As last week's controversy was playing out, reports have emerged that an earlier kerfuffle erupted over a cancelled January 22nd diplomatic event in honor of Dominican Republic president Danilo Medina.

Organized by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the gathering was meant to be a private opportunity for diplomats and their spouses to honor the President but, as Acento reported yesterday, the Dean himself raised objections about extending an invitation to Ambassador Brewster's husband and made a personal call to ask the Ambassador for his understanding and consideration.

From a private letter sent to all diplomats after questions were raised about the decision as translated from Spanish:

1. Reasons why the partner of the U.S. Ambassador was not invited to the Diplomatic Cocktail in honor of the President of the Dominican Republic: The partner of the U.S. Ambassador is not accredited as a "wife" but, instead, as a "dependent" of the Ambassador. In the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, same sex marriages are not recognized. Thus the Dominican authorities cannot officially recognize him as his "wife."

2. This explains why he was not invited to accompany the Ambassador.

3. It would be incorrect and in some ways offensive to the entire Diplomatic Body to go against the Constitution and, worse yet, in front of the President of the Republic and in the presence of representatives from all the Diplomatic Missions accredited by the Dominican Republic.

4. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps has spoken to the U.S. Ambassador regarding this impasse and has asked for his understanding regarding this question, particularly about its delicate nature as he well knows.  We expect the Ambassador to accept this calmly and with due consideration. The use of prudence would insure a proper way to handle this issue. 

5. This does not imply any prejudice in the understanding, respect and tolerance the Colleagues from the Diplomatic Corps have towards the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. James W. Brewster.

6. An authority from the Foreign Affairs Ministry called on Saturday, January 18th, to express that the "Foreign Affairs Ministry" has no objection regarding to the attendance of the partner of the U.S. Ambassador. Naturally, the responsibility then falls on the Diplomatic Body.

7. Later, speaking to an authority from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, it was acknowledged that the largest obstacle still remained: The fundamental question raised by the Constitution. The Dean reaffirmed that it would be completely wrong for the Heads of the Missions to go against the Constitution in front of the President. The ministerial authority immediately recognized the severity of the circumstance and how local media might make an issue out of it.

Archbishop Okolo with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina.

The letter was signed by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps which happens to be the new envoy from the Vatican to the Dominican Republic Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo originally from the African republic of Chad.

In October, Bishop Okolo replaced Polish Archbishop Josef Wesolowski after he escaped the Dominican Republic fleeing sexual abuse allegations.

The Dominican Foreign Affairs Ministry was not the only one who expressed having no issue with showing Ambassador Brewster the respect of treating his husband as his spouse. As Acento reports, "several diplomats refused to attend and the event had to be suspended."

The Foreign Affairs Ministry was also the government entity that stepped up last week when the Dominican ambassador to the Vatican criticized Ambassador Brewster and expressed full support for the U.S. Ambassador.

U.K. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Steven M. Fisher.

Update (Feb. 20th, 2014): When Acento broke the news about the cancellation of the diplomatic meeting on Tuesday several conservative religious leaders immediately tried to spin the story by applauding diplomats for allegedly taking a "principled" stand against same-sex marriage and staying away from the event.

Unfortunately for them whoever is leaking internal diplomatic letters to Acento responded by disclosing a letter Steven M. Fisher wrote to Archbishop Okole in response to the reasons given for not inviting Mr. Satawake to the event:

His Excellency, I am writing to you regarding the e-mail you sent on January 20th of 2014 regarding the "reasons why the partner of the U.S. Ambassador was not invited to the cocktail organized by the diplomatic corps in honor of the president to the Dominican Republic." 

I regret the very difficult situation in which this decision has placed me when it comes to my participation in the cocktail reception. I believe this decision unjustly discriminates against a member of the Diplomatic Corps in a way that is unjustifiable. Additionally, it is my understanding that these issues should have been discussed by the Diplomatic Corps with enough time for each ambassador to give their point of view.

I reiterate the suggestion I made via e-mail on January 18th to modify the invitation so it equally includes everyone.

In the case the decision remains the same by not treating everyone equally or shows disrespect for someone's civil status, I am afraid I unfortunately won't be able to participate in the cocktail.

In other words, Vatican envoy Jude Thaddeus Okolo was not only advised that the Dominican Foreign Affairs Ministry in representation of the government had no issue with inviting Mr. Satawake to the event but other diplomats clearly warned him they would stay away if he insisted in discriminating against him.

Don't blame the gays for this diplomatic fiasco. Blame the new Vatican envoy to the Dominican Republic and conservatives from the Dominican Republic who insist on treating the U.S. ambassador and his husband with such disrespect.

Reactions:

• Meanwhile in Santo Domingo: Ambassador Brewster's husband not invited 'cuz he's not a "wife" (DiploPundit, Feb. 21, 2014)
• Global LGBT recap: Culture War Claims More Victims (Religion Dispatches, Feb. 20, 2014)

Previously:

• Diplomatic row brewing over U.S. Ambassador's decision to meet with LGBT Dominican leaders (Feb. 14, 2014) 
• Gay U.S. Ambassador and husband meet Dominican LGBT advocates (Feb. 11, 2014)
• Dominican cardinal uses the word "faggot" to refer to gay U.S. ambassador nominee (July 2, 2013)
• Cardinal calls Dominican gays "maricones" (Oct. 30, 2007)

Diplomatic row brewing over U.S. Ambassador's decision to meet with Dominican LGBT leaders

Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster with his husband Bob Satawake at the U.S. embassy quarters in the Dominican Republic as photographed by Ritmo Social and shared on Twitter.

A diplomatic row might be brewing over a meeting held this Tuesday by openly gay U.S. ambassador James "Wally" Brewster and his husband Bob Satawake with several Dominican LGBT leaders just a month after the new U.S. ambassador took office.

Messages and photos of the meeting were shared through the embassy's official social media accounts but no official statement has been posted on the embassy's website:

Post by Embajada USA - Santo Domingo.

Embajador Brewster y Bob Satawake se reunieron hoy con líderes de la comunidad LGBT en el país donde conversaron sobre los retos en #rd
— EmbajadaUSAenRD (@EmbajadaUSAenRD) February 11, 2014

"Ambassador Brewster and Bob Satawake met today with leaders of the country's LGBT community and discussed the challenges in DR"

Based on our report, the Washington Blade reached out to the embassy on Wednesday but they did not reply. And now we might have a reason.

Victor Grimaldi

Yesterday Dominican newspapers reported that the Dominican Republic Ambassador to the Vatican Victor Grimaldi sent an open letter to the Pope criticizing Brewster for the meeting.

In the letter to Pope Francis Grimaldi points out that a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was approved just four years ago with what he says was 99 percent of Dominican's approval and then takes a swipe at Brewster's marriage:

Just when the State Constitution of the Dominican Republic establishes that marriage is between a man and a woman here comes the new United States ambassador - "married" with a man - to meet with a gay and transsexual collective that has confronted the Catholic church and alleges that the Dominican Republic is a secular state. 

A campaign to attack Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Ródriguez on these and other issues has existed for quite a while as they see the Archbishop from Santo Domingo as the head that needs to be dethroned.

The good Cardinal, of course, is the homophobe who has repeatedly referred to gay and lesbian Dominicans as "maricones" (faggots) over the years and used that same word when joking about Brewster's nomination in front of a number of reporters last year.  He has since toned down his language and there are reports that a few weeks ago he asked church goers to respect the ambassador.

Brewster, on the other hand, has avoided any direct mention of the Cardinal.

Those who were present at Tuesday's meeting do say that the topic came up and that the ambassador personally thanked them for defending his nomination last year in light of the attacks.

"The pair of diplomats [Brewster and his husband] thanked the collective for the June 2013 campaign to defend him from the rejection expressed by some sectors opposed to his nomination as the country's ambassador" says a statement from the transgender-rights organization TRANSSA.

Grimaldi's letter to Pope Francis apparently drew strong private rebuke from José Manuel Trullols, the Dominican Republic's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In a second letter sent to the press and published today Grimaldi says that the government official contacted him in what Grimaldi characterized as an attempt to intimidate him:

Excellent Minister: You have never called me on the phone before. And you threatened me for a letter I addressed to Pope Francis.

After today's call I warn you that christian-phobia is a type of religious persecution contrary to the liberty enshrined in our Constitution, which I swore to defend and obey. 

I reject your threats, even if I am sacrificed like John the Baptist for simply because as an Ambassador [to the Vatican] I obey the Constitution and as a christian I follow the freedom of thought.

It's not the first time that Grimaldi has used his Vatican credentials to vehemently defend the Cardinal.  In December he wrote another public letter to the Pope slamming Peruvian Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa for calling on the Vatican to remove the Cardinal from his position.

Vargas Llosa, taking note of moderate statements made recently by the new Pope, called on the Vatican leader to remove "stone age" representatives of the church such as the Dominican and Peruvian cardinals.

The Cardinal's popularity in the Dominican Republic has taken a beating in recent years with people questioning his role in a still expanding sexual abuse scandal and, more recently, being caught on camera last week calling a Jesuit priest "shameless" and a left wing radical for daring to help needy undocumented Haitian immigrants [the Dominican Republic is currently embroiled in a debate on Haitian citizenship after the Dominican Supreme Court retroactively stripped children of undocumented Haitian immigrants of their citizenship even if they were born in the Dominican Republic].

Dominican citizens have taken to Twitter to demand the Cardinal be removed from his post using the hashtag #destituciondelcardenalrd.

Among the LGBT advocates who attended the meeting on Tuesday are Leonardo Sánchez of Amigos Siempre Amigos, Chris King of TRANSSA, Reverend Wilkin Lara from the ICM Church in the Dominican Republic, transgender rights activist Nairobi Castillo, and LGBT-rights activists Marianela Carvajal. Francis Taylor and Harold Jimenez.

Update #1: Asked today by Dominican media about Grimaldi's letters and accusations of a plot against the Cardinal, Ambassador Brewster said "I don't usually respond to false accusations."

Also, at least one Dominican paper - El Ortodoxo - is asking Grimaldi to resign as a result of his attack against the U.S. Ambassador.

Update #2: The Dominican government through the Foreign Affairs Ministry has released a statement that says that Grimaldi has not been authorized to speak about ambassador Brewster in the name of the government and says the statements made in the letters are purely personal in nature. They also expressed support for the U.S. ambassador:

The Dominican government recognizes the work that ambassador James B. Brewster on an wide array of issues related to the bilateral agenda.

Update #3: The Dominican Republic Foreign Affairs Ministry has tweeted their statement distancing the government from Grimaldi's comments.
Reaction to Grimaldi
RELATED:

• Scandal reveals Dominican Republic greenhorn diplomacy (Dominican Today, Feb. 17, 2014)  

PREVIOUSLY

• Gay U.S. Ambassador and husband meet Dominican LGBT advocates (Feb. 11, 2014)
• Dominican cardinal uses the word "faggot" to refer to gay U.S. ambassador nominee (July 2, 2013)
• Cardinal calls Dominican gays "maricones" (Oct. 30, 2007)

Dominican Republic: U.S. Ambassador and husband meet Dominican LGBT advocates

U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James "Wally" Brewster and his husband Bob Satawake (center) meet with LGBT and human rights advocates from the Caribbean island (photo taken from the Ambassador's Instagram account)

[For an update to this post click on "Diplomatic row brewing over U.S. Ambassador's decision to meet with Dominican LGBT advocates"]

James "Wally" Brewster, who is still listed as a member of the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign and who gained national visibility as one of the gay men who raised the most funds for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has been on quite a charm offensive since he took the U.S. ambassadorship duties in the Dominican Republic a month ago.

This is a marked change from the silence he observed during the nomination process as a number of religious leaders in the Dominican Republic criticized the nomination of an openly gay man for the diplomatic post.  Leading the charge was Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez who called the then-nominee a 'faggot' on national television...

...but once the nomination was secured Brewster faced the criticism head on and introduced himself to the Dominican public with a video in which he included his husband Bob Satawake...

Brewster and Satawake also became the first same-sex married couple to grace the cover of the Dominican high society magazine Ritmo Social in an exclusive interview published on January 25th.

Ritmo Social: You have worked with the gay community and human rights. Can you talk about your experiences in those areas?

Brewster: It's our belief that every person has the inherent right to to a dignified and transparent life without the far of being pursued or discriminated. We firmly believe that each person has value and that the entire world should have an opportunity to contribute to the common good. We have worked with different types of organizations who serve marginalized communities and grant them equal access and development opportunities. As people of faith we take into account our responsibility to bring growth opportunities to others as many other people have granted us both.

RS: The Dominican Republic is, on the whole, a Catholic country and some people believe that it's not right to send a gay man - and on top of that an out activist - to represent the U.S. as a Dominican Republic ambassador. What is your opinion?

Brewster: We both have felt welcomed by the Dominican Republic for many years and since my arrival as an ambassador that has not changed. I was nominated by President Obama to represent his government and the North American people as a reflection of our country, its diversity and its mission. I am committed to serve that ideal. President Obama was aware of our knowledge of the Dominican Republic and knew we would work diligently to advance the extraordinary relationship between our people and our countries.

RS: Let's talk about your relationship with your husband Bob...

Brewster: Bob and I met, as many other couples, when we were in our twenties. We have gotten older and shared our lives together learning from each other.  We are very fortunate to have loving parents and, even though my mother is no longer with us, we treasure the love she gave us every day.  Our parents have been extremely understanding and offered us great support all these years we have been together.  In October we celebrated our 25th anniversary together and, thanks to the leadership of President Obama, we were able to legally marry in Washington, DC, surrounded by our families and many of our friends from the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. We live life day to day and we thank God every day for the blessings he has given us.

Ambassador Brewster meets with Dominican LGBT leaders: As the nomination process was taking place and as the State Department and Brewster himself kept quiet on the attacks he was receiving from conservative religious leaders in the island, some of his strongest supporters were members of the Dominican LGBT community who were thrilled about the nomination.  But considering Brewster's privileged life in the United States I often wondered if the new ambassador would acknowledge their support or engage them in any significant way.

Today, just a month after taking the diplomatic post and in a sign that he will be a strong ally to the Dominican LGBT community he welcomed them to a reception at the embassy which included his husband.

Among the LGBT leaders who attended the reception were Leonardo Sánchez of Amigos Siempre Amigos (Friends Always Friends), Chris King from the transgender rights organization TRANSSA, LGBT rights advocate Harold Jimenez, and Reverend Wilkin Lara from the ICM Church in D.R.

There has been no official statement from the Embassy on the meeting nor a full list of attendees but photos of the meeting were sent out through the Embassy's Twitter account and the ambassador's Instagram account.

Conservative religious leaders still fuming about nomination, get support from U.S.-based religious websites: A small number of very vocal conservative religious leaders in the Dominican Republic remain furious that a gay man is now the U.S. ambassador.

On Friday, even before today's meeting with LGBT leaders, Reverend Luis Rosario staged a press conference to say that the arrival of the new ambassador and his husband sent an "extremely negative message" to the Dominican people.

"It's a very sad state of affairs we are living at this moment," Rev. Rosario added, "and it makes our nation seem like a great hospital for the sexually ill."

Last year right-wing U.S.-based religious sites such as CNS News gave credence to homophobic threats warning Brewster would be forced to leave the Dominican Republc or else run the risk of being attacked. CNN also picked up on the so-called "Black Monday" protests against Brewster's nomination which never actually materialized (those were also promoted to no avail by conservative U.S. conservative sites such as LifeSite News).

If anything it mobilized Dominican LGBT advocates such as Giónver Castillo who hung this rainbow flag outside his balcony to protest the calls for a "Black Monday."

During the 2012 Dominican pride parade Castillo was stopped several times by police authorities for carrying a flag he made in which he changed the colors of the Dominican flag to resemble the rainbow flag.  Authorities threatened to stop the parade unless Castillo handed the flag over to them since they considered the rainbow colored Dominican flag an affront to the nation's patriotic symbols.

Parade organizers who were afraid that they would be forced to stop the celebrations before the evening's cultural events agreed with the authorities and distanced themselves from having any role in the creation of the flag. Castillo was not among the leaders who attended today's reception but some of the parade organizers did.

Cardinal López Rodriguez, who called Brewster a "faggot," asks Dominicans to be respectful of the new ambassador: Nevertheless in a sign that religious conservatives are losing support for their vitriolic and homophobic language against the ambassador, on January 14th, just a week before Brewster took the diplomatic seat, it was Cardinal López Rodriguez - the same man who called Brewster a "faggot" last year upon hearing of the nomination - who urged church goers to show respect for the new ambassador.

Reaction:

• Gay U.S. Ambassador meets with Dominican LGBT leaders (The Washington Blade)

Note: This is an re-edited version of the original post that went up on February 11th, 2014.

Venezuelan LGBT advocates and allies launch major marriage equality effort

Representatives of 47 Venezuelan LGBT organizations and their allies gathered outside the National Assembly in Caracas this morning and handed in 20,000 signatures asking legislators to consider a civil marriage equality bill in their next legislative session.

For months, LGBT organizations had canvassed for signatures throughout the country and earned the support of legislators affiliated with President Nicolas Maduro's government - including former president Hugo Chávez's brother - as well as opposition party politicians.

Efforts to bring these signatures to the capital have received comprehensive coverage by tightly controlled official media channels including the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN).

According to AVN several socialist party legislators welcomed the signatures and vowed to process the request.

"It is our obligation to accept the proposals the people bring to us and it is our obligation to hand these proposals to the [National Assembly's] executive committee for them to assign the matter to the appropriate legislative commission," said socialist party member Elvis Amoroso.

Amoroso added "Our commander Hugo Chávez as well as the President of the Republic Nicolás Maduro always expected us to attend to those who govern us - the people of Venezuela - and here before us is part of those people we represent."

That's not quite accurate. As president the late Hugo Chávez rarely discussed LGBT issues and when he was asked about same-sex marriage in 2009 he said Venezuela wasn't ready for it and he personally didn't see it as a "good thing."

Maduro, for his part, ran one of the most homophobic presidential campaigns in recent Latin American history even as he professed love for the gays and welcomed their votes.

But, at least rhetorically, there seem to be signs of an increasing willingness to at least consider addressing the needs of Venezuela's LGBT community.

Estimated at 300, the crowd that gathered outside the National Assembly this morning chanted "If the Pope were gay, [same-sex] marriage would already be legal" as heard in this video clip from the AFP.

Here is Edgar Manuel Baptista from the Pro-Inclusion political party addressing reporters about the importance of the proposed marriage equality legislature:

Pedro Zerolo sends his support from Spain: There will be a day in which the untold history of how the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) and the Spanish National Federation of Gays and Lesbians (FELGBT) traveled to Latin America and planted some of the seeds for marriage equality in Argentina and Uruguay after securing passage of their own law in 2005. Those efforts were led by the Venezuelan-born attorney and Spanish councilmember Pedro Zerolo who never lost sight of Latin America despite living in Spain for more than two decades.

On January 7th, El Pais broke the devastating news that the long-time LGBT rights activist had been diagnosed with cancer.  He has vowed to fight the illness but, amazingly and movingly, took time from his treatments to tape a message supporting these marriage equality efforts in Venezuela:

Pedro Zerolo: Dear friends, January 31st of 2014 will be a historic day in Venezuela.  It marks the first step towards the recognition of LGTB men and women's equality and dignity. And I am specifically saying "dignity and equality" which means enjoying the same rights others do and with the same terminology. Friends, on January 31st a marriage equality bill will be presented before the National Assembly. A legislative bill properly vetted and supported by a social network that I am certain will make it a reality sooner than later. Why? Because love has to be legal. Love. Has. To. Be. Equal. Because it is a bill that does not attempt against anything or anyone but is in favor of a diverse Venezuela that has to recognize equal rights of all its citizenship. Because Venezuela belongs to all of us - including lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals. Friends, from Madrid, I send my full support. If we did it in Spain, we can also do it in Venezuela. Venezuela can and has to be on time with a rendezvous with equality. It has to recognize the equality of its citizens. I am certain we will be able to accomplish this.  That's why, from Spain, I send all my energy, all my strength and the strongest of hugs.

Same-sex couples with marriage licenses from Argentina ask the Venezuelan government to recognize their marriages:  In the meantime, a number of couples holding marriage licenses from Argentina are also taking a different route and have gone to the courts to ask that their marriages be recognized by the Venezuelan government.

A year ago in January Roberto Di Giacomo and José Ramón Merentes went to court to ask that their partnership of 16 years be recognized as a civil union.

On November 30th of 2013 that petition was dismissed along with those of two other couples on the basis that the Venezuelan constitution made it clear that civil unions and marriages were only allowed for heterosexual couples (the petition handed to the National Assembly this morning asks that the constitutional language be changed to lift those restrictions).

But a week before their petition was denied Di Giacomo and Merentes were actually getting married in Argentina which allows marriages between same-sex couples from other countries (that's Mr. Di Giacomo and Mr. Merentes in the photo above receiving a marriage license from a judge in Buenos Aires on November 22nd).

Now they are joining two other couples who received marriage licenses in Argentina in challenging the government to recognize those marriages as valid.

The other two couples are Raymer Diaz and Edwin Erminy and Migdely Miranda and Giniveth Soto Quintana (pictured above at today's rally holding marriage licenses from Argentina).

On December 16th, a civil court turned down the petition by Ms. Miranda and Ms. Soto but they are appealing that decision.

Speaking to a reporter for the National Assembly's website, Ms. Soto explained that her wife Migdely was three months pregnant and that she wanted to be recognized as a married couple to protect her wife and their unborn child.

"We want the legislators of the National Assembly to recognize our child and our family," she said, "we are being forced to emigrate to other [South American] countries such as Argentina where these laws are recognized."

Ms. Soto also said she would be lobbying her uncle Fernando Soto Rojas, an influential member of the ruling socialist party and former president of the National Assembly to gather support for marriage equality among his colleagues.

More scenes from the rally...

Related:

• Venezuelan LGBT rights movement submits proposal for same-sex marriage (Venezuelan Analysis) 
• Venezuelan NGO's submit bill for legalization of same-sex marriage (Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights)
• Venezuela activists petition for same-sex marriage (AFP)
• Venezuela to seek modification of civil code to legalize gay marriage (Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
• Additional photos here

Colombia's Marcus Bachmann-look alike launches senate campaign, vote for Elizabeth Castillo instead

Javier Suarez Pascagaza might be a bachelor but he has an uncanny resemblance to Marcus Bachmann and perhaps similar proclivities.
For one, they bot think homosexuality should be cured.

Not much has been seen of leading Colombian anti-gay marriage leader Javier Suarez Pascagaza since some former seminary classmates claimed he had been thrown out of Catholic school for being gay back in November.  But the self-appointed director of the one man Husband and Woman Foundation finally emerged this week to promote a Senate campaign with some spectacular imagery straight of the very gay Pierre et Guilles cannon (see above).

This week, Suarez also denounced a re-election campaign ad by Senator Armando Benedetti featuring a gay couple and a lesbian couple in asking Colombians to be respectful of others:

Last year Senator Benedetti introduced a marriage equality bill in the Colombian Senate which was struck down by a majority.

Addressing Senator Benedetti in an interview with El Espectador published Monday Suarez said that the ad was "an affront and a threat to Colombian families and children" and said he would go to court to block it from being aired on national television.

"Two men might try to have as much sex as they want but they will never be able to get each other pregnant," he said, " and this is clear evidence that homosexuals do not have nor will ever have the same rights as those of a man and a woman."

Yes. he said that.

He also participate on a radio debate on Tuesday and responded to allegations he is a closeted gay man:

"These are opinions that come from the bottom of the barrel and have been used to attack my good name and honor as well as the prestige of the [one man] Husband and Woman Foundation with the hopes of discrediting the full authority in which we have strongly and clearly opposed [same-sex marriage] regardless of any ideological, Christian or religious basis as they have also claimed... In response to such slanderous and damaging allegations we have launched a lawsuit on my behalf for the sum of five thousand million Colombian pesos against those who made the allegations, Marcela Sanchez of [the LGBT-rights organization] Colombia Diversa and El Espectador because they have no right to play with a person's image and lobby personal attacks against someone who has simply made strong legal arguments against same-sex marriage and adoption rights for gays."

Notice that he thinks being called gay is slanderous and damaging but he never comes out and denies being gay.

Lesbian senate candidate Elizabeth Castillo (right) who was also part of the debate and happens to be one of the first women to be granted a marriage license in Colombia - despite an unsuccessful court challenge by Mr. Suarez-  put him in place:

"Mr. Suarez is prone to launching legal attacks and he does it badly," she argued, "He might claim to have gone to law school but he's not a lawyer;  he might claim he has studied theology and it might be true but he's not a theologist and the way he has used the law is an affront to legal theory; he uses 'tutelas' and lawsuits in a manner that is totally inappropriate and in ways that create total confusion. Tomorrow I could easily go and sue him for five hundred million dollars or five million dollars because I feel personally afflicted by his systematic persecution against my marriage which I might point out is still valid despite his efforts."

The main question about Mr. Suarez is not his legal abilities (he has lost every effort to challenge the few same-sex marriage licenses that have been granted in Colombia) but who is funding his one-man efforts.

He clearly has an ally in the office of the ultra-homophobic and powerful Inspector Genera; Rafael Ordoñez but it is rumored that his anti-gay efforts and senate campaigns are receiving a lot of money from U.S. based religious institutions as well.

If you would like to support a truly inclusive Colombian senate campaign, please follow Elizabeth Castillo on Twitter (here) and YouTube (here). As if it needed to be said, full disclosure, the amazing Elizabeth Castillo is a friend of mine.

Love her.

Related:

• Leading opponent of same-sex marriage in Colombia outed as a gay man (Nov. 13, 2013)

Historic: Cuba protects workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation (Report)

Cuban parliament as they debated adding adding anti-LGBT discrimination language to the island's labor laws (via CubaDebate)

In what Cuban LGBT advocates are calling a historic victory the Cuban parliament has reportedly adopted changes to the island's labor codes to include language that explicitly bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Blogger Francisco Rodriguez who is better known by his nom de plume Paquito El De Cuba broke the news on Friday evening with a series of tweets in Spanish that read as follows:

"Experienced a countless number of emotions today at the Parliament. We now have the 1st law that protects gays, in this case at the workplace. The intense parliamentary debate left it almost for certain that the labor law will also ban discrimination based on gender identity. [President Raul Castro's daughter] Mariela Castro proposed banning discrimination based on gender identity and obtained the support of Christian and intellectual parliamentary leaders."

The parliament is currently taking a look at suggested changes to the labor code and approving them section by section during a series of parliamentary debates which began on Friday.

In a follow-up blog post in which he expanded his thoughts Francisco stated that a majority of the parliament voted in favor of banning discrimination based on sexual orientation at work ("We succeeded! The first Cuban law to protect LGBT people's rights").

He also said that while other protections had yet to be approved Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro and newly elected member of the parliament, stood up and called for additional language banning employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity, HIV status and disability.  Francisco says that while some deputies spoke against the measures they received immediate support from Miriam Ofelia Ortega Suárez who is also the first woman to be ordained as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Cuba as well as deputy Pablo Odén Marichal who is an Episcopalian pastor as well.

Cuban vice president Miguel Díaz-Canel, who also has a seat in the parliament, said he recognized the political value of Mariela Castro's proposals and suggested the creation of a parliamentary commission to study and implement the suggestions.  President Raul Castro who led the Friday parliamentary sessions backed the proposal and a majority voted in favor of sending the additional proposals to a committee.

The specific language banning employment discrimination specifically based on sexual orientation was approved by the same majority vote and is, in effect, a done deal according to Francisco.

Writing before the vote took place blogger Camilo Garcia - better known as k1000g - wrote that, if passed, it would "be the first time in the history of Cuba when there is a bill explicitly protecting the rights –specifically at their working environment– of the people who have decided to live openly in contrast with heterosexual norms" ("On the eve of a significant step").

Camilo ends by writing the following:

It also constitutes a valuable step, because it was the citizenship participation that brought this issue to the legislation. It happened without any public action, because –as expected-- the national media did not say a word about it during the numerous press reports they have published in the last few months during this process... Something like this makes us think in two things: It may be a demonstration that the perception of the Cuban people about sexual orientation is changing, slightly for good, and that people have lost their fear to talk about it and to defend openly their rights openly. Then we are also talking about an important step against patriarchal power in Cuba... It will also be an action of historic fairness ¿How many people we know that haven’t had access to a job, or have left their profession, due to homophobic actions? ¿How many we know who has suffered in silence all their lives, or have taken more radical decisions –emigration or even suicide– as a result of homophobia? It is clear that this step brings more challenges. Among them, the necessary changes in regulations not to leave the new Working Code to fall on deaf ears. The subject of “gender identity” is still pending because –although people don’t understand it– trans people may not be homosexuals… and they still remain excluded from this piece of legislation. Besides, there’s still an urgent need of a wide and effective education campaign among the general population that addresses respect to sexual rights. In May 2013 the ILGA map recognized that 66 countries have adopted explicit protection rules over these peoples. Cuba might be number 67 and keep taking new significant steps… because it is important to work out on policies that protect the rights of all people – and including sexual orientation as it was done at the 2012 Party Conference – but it is more important to make those commitments real by making them the law.

During the Friday session President Raul Castro also honored the late former South African president and human rights giant Nelson Mandela.

UPDATE #1: In a previous post before the law was approved Francisco took a look at the pluses and minuses of the measure and highlighted removal of language that would have protected Cubans from employment discrimination based on "political opinion" which had been included in a first draft.  Francisco called it a major step back.

UPDATE #2: Michael Lavers at the Washington Blade touched base with some of the leading critics of the Cuban government in the U.S. regarding this post. None of them were aware of the developments but they try to walk back some of the statements in this post.

Cuban-born Republican U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was particularly dismissive of any claims that the Cuban government might be advancing on LGBT rights telling the Blade as follows:

The tyrannical regime in Cuba likes to fool those who are easily fooled but, unless there are human rights for all, there can be no true rights just for gays. One would have to be quite gullible to give any credence to reports that the non-freely elected sham of a parliament has passed an non-discrimination law regarding individuals who are LGBT. The Castro regime allows no freedom but it knows how to sugar coat its horrid human rights record by promoting a law that will never mean a thing. The Cuban people deserve freedom, whether they are gay or straight. Liberty knows no gender identity.

You can read more here.

UPDATE #3: Rep. Ros-Lehitenen tweets:

Don't fall 4 this sham. There's no freedom in #Cuba. @marielacastro is part of despotic regime. Don't be duped! http://t.co/PWrwAzzJhJ
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) December 22, 2013

UPDATE #4: Well known Cuban government dissident Orlando Luis Pardo, taking notice that language prohibiting discrimination based on political opinion was eliminated from the bill, took to Twitter to express his displeasure.

"CUBAN POLITICAL APARTHEID," he writes adding a link to Francisco's blog post, "You can be LGBT or black in Cuba but not a Democrat of anti-Castro".

APARTHEID POLÍTICO EN CUBA http://t.co/Ug5LFDDisx Se puede ser LGBT o negro pero no demócrata ni antiCastro @paquitoeldecuba @CastroEspinM
— Orlando Luis Pardo (@OLPL) December 22, 2013

To be updated as more information becomes available.

RELATED:

• Cuban Labor Code to Protect LGBT Rights (Havana Times) 
• Cuba tiene un nuevo Código de Trabajo más inclusivo (IPS)

Ecuador: Santiago and Fernando want to get married

You might remember back in May when Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa went on the offensive against marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples and a gender identity bill currently making its way through the nation's legislature. There was enough of an international backlash for him to extend a semi-apology but he still stood behind his statements and proclaimed he was the best president the LGBT community in Ecuador had ever had.

One unintended consequence of the president's stand against marriage equality was the emergence of a marriage equality movement in Ecuador which had been dormant but jumped into action as LGBT advocates realized their president wasn't necessarily on their side.

Among them was Pamela Troya who angrily denounced President Correa on Twitter telling him he was denigrating and disrespecting people like her by using dogma and prejudice to govern.

His response? "No problem," he twitted on May 23rd, "We'll launch a popular referendum in the next elections and we'll see if those dogmas and prejudice are my own."

Since then Pamela Troya and her partner Gabriela Correa launched the Civil Marriage Equality initiative and on August 5th they headed to a civil registry office and filed paperwork requesting the right to marry. 

On August 8th the court denied that petition on the basis that the constitution defines marriage as that of a man and a woman.  They have appealed that decision and are awaiting for a response.

Until now, Pamela and Gabriela had been the public face of the Civil Marriage Equality initiative but this week they announced that a second couple in Guayaquil would be filing paperwork to request a marriage license and this morning Santiago Vinces and Fernando Saltos did just that.

Carrying signs that read "Love is equality", "Without equality there is no liberty" and "Love does not discriminate" two dozen people including Pamela and Gabriela, attorney Silvia Buendia and television soap opera star Erika Velez acted as witnesses for the couple and marched with them as they made their way to the civil registry office and submitted their paperwork. As with Pamela and Gabriela, the court has 8 days to respond and the couple will appeal that decision if they are denied the right to marry.

Gabriela Correa and Panela Troya.

In defending his stance against marriage equality, President Correa highlighted his work in securing passage of a 2008 constitution which allowed civil unions for same-sex couples even as it also defined marriage as that between a man and a woman. At least on paper, the constitutional reform meant that same-sex couples would have all the rights of married heterosexual couples except for the right to adopt.

In practice, though, an upcoming study to be released by Silueta X which surveyed civil registry offices in Guayaquil found that only 1.2% of 2,805 same-sex couples had registered their civil unions in the five years since the constitution was adopted and, of 42 civil registry offices in the city, only two reported having recently completed a civil union registration.  Silueta X says they will release the full results of the study on November 29th and report whether some registries are throwing roadblocks for same-sex couples who might want to enter into a civil union.

Advocates face an uphill battle in repealing constitutional language that bans same-sex marriages but President Correa's opposition certainly has lit a fire in them and as other countries in the region allow same-sex couples to marry it raises the bar for other regional leaders to follow.

There are signs that President Correa is willing to listen to some of these actions and appeals. At least on the issue of the gender identity bill he has continued to have a dialogue with transgender rights advocate Diane Rodriguez in the months since he publicly stated that he saw the bill as a Trojan horse attack on the institution of marriage.

In the meantime, while he "evolves", the resurgence of a visible LGBT rights movement in Ecuador is reason to rejoice.

UPDATE (Nov. 29th, 2013): It took just one day for the Ecuadorean government and its civil registry office to say Santiago and Fernando did not meet the qualifications for a marriage license since they were not a man and a woman.  Helpfully, it did urge the couple to come back if and when they manage to gather enough proof to prove otherwise.

The Ecuadorean Civil Marriage Equality initiative has said that they expected the ruling and will be appealing it. They also say they are recruiting same-sex couples who might be interested in joining their movement and launch similar petitions before the civil registry offices of Ecuador.

News report (Spanish):

Additional info:

• More photos of this morning's press conference and rally here.
• Follow Ecuador's "Matrimonio Civil Igualitario" on Twitter here.

Related:

• Ecuador: Second gay couple denied marriage license (On Top Magazine)

Photo of the day: Hugo Chavez's brother signs marriage equality petition

Barinas Gobernor Adán Chávez Frias signing marriage equality petition (photos by Luis Carlos Paredes Tapia, used by permission)

Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico City recognize marriage equality. Courts in other regions of Mexico and in Colombia have also granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Advocates in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, El Salvador, Cuba and Costa Rica are demanding equal marriage rights. And here comes Venezuela.

Against all odds and despite the general polarization that defines Venezuelan politics, LGBT advocates on both sides of the political divide launched a signature gathering campaign earlier this year to force the National Assembly to take up the issue.

By September they announced they had collected 40% of the signatures they needed. Transgender rights advocate Tamara Adrian said that organizers might be ready to hand in all needed signatures by the end of the year.

It is the fifth time that LGBT advocates have tried to jump-start a debate on same-sex partnership rights since 1999 when the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez took office.

For all his years in power, it cannot be said that Chávez was particularly homophobic but he also was far from proactive on addressing the needs of LGBT Venezuelans or speaking about it publicly.

One of the rare occasions on which he did discuss same-sex marriage was in 2009 in Italy when a reporter asked him about it. At the time Chávez seemed to indicate he might evolve on the issue but personally was against it.

After those declarations and before his death earlier this year, Chávez and the Great Patriotic Pole party he lead increasingly embraced the LGBT community or the "sexually diverse" as they preferred to call it particularly when trying to draw away LGBT voters from the opposition.

In some ways his hand-picked successor Nicolás Maduro has tried to mimic the inclusive rhetoric but has been less than tactful about it arguably using homophobic innuendo and accusations against his opponents.

In the meantime, LGBT advocates continue to collect signatures in support of a marriage equality law and on Wednesday they ran into Barinas state governor Adán Chávez Frias who was happy to add his sinature to the list.

Governor Chávez Frias happens to be the late president's brother.

It might reflect an increasing willingness among 'Chavistas' to embrace LGBT issues including marriage equality.

Related: The Facebook page for the coalition of LGBT organizations gathering signarures can be found here.

Photo by Luis Carlos Paredes Tapia, used with permission.

Pedro Julio Serrano... or haters gonna hate

This morning I woke up to the news that a long time "partner in crime" and one of my best friends had suffered a mild heart attack.

As he usually does these days, Pedro Julio Serrano used social media to let the world know in a message posted this morning at 6 a.m.: "This is what happens when you have too much love - you get a small heart attack and it fills up with so much love. I'll get out of here."

Esto pasa cuando amas demasiado - te da pequeño ataque al corazón y se te inflama de tanto amar. Ya saldré de aquí. pic.twitter.com/7Q7EfwMR8l
— Pedro Julio Serrano (@PedroJulio) November 19, 2013

Speaking to Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Dia, Pedro Julio said he was in good spirits and on his way to recovery. "The first 24 hours are crucial, the worst is over, I am better but the shock remains," he said, "I've fought worse battles and I have always won and this won't be the exception."

This weekend Pedro Julio seemed in a great mood as he participated in the Central Park nuptials of out boxer Orlando "El Fénomeno" Cruz and his partner José Manuel Colón. He was their best man at the wedding.

That's because when Cruz began to explore the pros and cons of coming out as a currently active professional boxer he reached out to Pedro Julio for advice in the months leading to taking that historic step.

Similarly, when pop singer Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he said that Pedro Julio's years of visible advocacy on behalf of LGBT Puerto Ricans was one of his inspirations and he personally invited Pedro Julio to his studio to listen to tracks from his yet to be released album "Música + Alma + Sexo."

On November of 2010, the singer presented Pedro Julio with the 2010 Comité Noviembre Puerto Rican Heritage Award.  At the time Ricky said:

You and I are connected in a thousand ways. I give you thanks for being a teacher, for being a mentor, for being a warrior of the light. For being a Puerto Rican of pura cepa who is doing a wonderful job for the Puerto Ricans of today and also for the new generations. I simply do not have the words. You are magical, brother. I love you lots, God bless you. 

The two have remained close friends.

The very public and visible recognition Pedro Julio has received from these stars is built on years of his hard work. I could spend hours listing every one of his achievements from the time I met him fifteen years ago when he worked for the now defunct national Latino organization LLEGO to the work he does currently at NGLTF (One example: His effort to bring to justice the murderers of Jorge Steven López Mercado).

What I have never done is speak of the darker side of that visibility which are the vile attacks and death threats Pedro Julio has received over the years - mostly because Pedro Julio has always told me to ignore it.  But considering he is still in a hospital room recuperating from a heart attack and knowing that the same people are rejoicing and celebrating he almost died I think I have had enough and, apparently, others have as well.

So, with Pedro Julio's permission...

These are momentous times when it comes to LGBT rights in Puerto Rico.

This summer, despite years of vitriolic opposition from conservative religious institutions and years of waiting in the pipelines, Puerto Rican governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed a law that prohibits employment discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation and another extending domestic violence protections to same-sex couples.  And, while it took the work of many individuals and organizations to secure their passage, Pedro Julio emerged as the most visible face behind the victory --- and a key target for its opponents.

But what probably still riles up some people the most is the successful boycott campaign against a hugely popular television gossip show called "SuperXClusivo" and its host Kobbo Santa Rosa who used a life sized doll named "La Comay" to spew homophobic insults for years on end.

Again, many people were behind the "Boycott La Comay" campaign but Pedro Julio, as someone who had been repeatedly called a "fag" on the show emerged as the most visible member of the effort. The show was cancelled in January of this year.

To this day, fans of that show use mostly anonymous Twitter accounts to attack Pedro Julio on an almost daily basis. On May of 2013, the FBI arrested one of those men after he sent a death threat against Pedro Julio through a Twitter account.  The man would later apologize to Pedro Julio in court.

Key among these accounts is a specific account that was launched in response to the "Boycott La Comay" campaign simply titled "BoycotPJ" who have made it their mission to rile up Pedro Julio's haters against him and, true to form, they have spent the day making fun of his heart attack this morning.

Particularly vile was a Twitter post rejoicing in the "positive" messages Pedro Julio was receiving with the following jpeg attached:

• He's faking a mild heart attack, God, take him please so he can help you.
• You pay sin with death, that is written in the Book, God loves him because he is his son but hates his sin. He already acquired AIDS and God continues to touch him so he repents but he has freely chosen to follow that path in life.
• Why doesn't that son of a bitch die. Damn faggot.
• If he dies, it will be one less faggot in Puerto Rico.

You get the point.  And again: This happens almost on a daily basis but today's news has the PJ haters out in full force.

And as a friend you see this stuff and you sit there and know that there is no way it doesn't take a toll on someone.  But Pedro Julio is all "haters gonna hate:"

Estoy demasiado ocupado mejorando, y por supuesto amando, que no tengo tiempo para quienes odian. Pobres de corazón. Ojalá aprendan a amar.
— Pedro Julio Serrano (@PedroJulio) November 19, 2013

"I'm too busy getting better, and of course loving others, I do not have time for those who hate. I hope they learn to love."

At least one public figure has also had enough. Puerto Rican Senator Ramon Luís Nieves, who sponsored the employment non-discrimination bill that became law, took to Twitter this morning and also posted the screen gran above writing "Proof of anti-LGBTT hate, wishing the death of Pedro Julio, this in a supposedly christian nation. Disgusting."

Muestras de odio anti-LGBTT, deseando la muerte de @PedroJulio Esto en un país supuestamente cristiano. Asco pic.twitter.com/6Injt01djD
— Ramón Luis Nieves (@ramonluisnieves) November 19, 2013

And "The expressions of hate against Pedro Julio in light of his heart attack are disgusting. We conquered hate with the law, but we remain to win people's hearts."

La expresiones d odio contra @PedroJulio por su infarto dan asco. Vencimos el odio con leyes, pero falta hacerlo en los corazones d la gente
— Ramón Luis Nieves (@ramonluisnieves) November 19, 2013

"Boycott PJ", of course, has already derided the Senator's comments and questioned if Pedro Julio is faking being ill to get more sympathy.

Sometimes when you give attention to these folks it enables them and provides them a larger platform but the attacks this morning are so despicable that to stay silent would be a crime.

Along with Senator Nieves, Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, Ricky Martin, Orlando Cruz, singer Ednita Nazario, myself and hundreds of others have already reached out and wished him the best.

So haters gonna hate while Pedro Julio gets some rest but Orlando, Ricky and so many others are standing up and saying "Pedro Julio, we have your back."

In the meantime, a word from Pedro Julio this evening...

FOTO: Con mejor semblante y con el corazón fortalecido por tanto amor que me dan a manos llenas. Gracias, mi gente! pic.twitter.com/jsy4w1SUFN
— Pedro Julio Serrano (@PedroJulio) November 19, 2013

"Looking better and with my heart strengthened by all the love you have given me with open hands. Thank you, my people"...