If you follow the news any at all, then you know all about UNIBAM and its pro-gay agenda. But tonight there is another such group, and this one is for Lesbians. The group calls themselves PETAL and it stands for Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual women. They were formed in 2012 but have not come out to light until today when they had their debut event at the Biltmore Plaza. We spoke to the Coordinator of this organization and the US Ambassador was also there to lend his support.
Coordinator
"PETAL is promoting empowerment through awareness for lesbian and bisexual women. Empowering women, letting them learn about the laws, how it affects them and do not affect them, and where they can change legislation for women. As you know, we are seeing prevalently that women from all over the world are being oppressed; they are like second class citizens and for a country like Belize that one would consider liberal to some large extent. People will have their idiosyncrasies about anything and everything but we welcome everybody, all women, we're a women's organization with a focus on lesbian and bisexual women. We want to provide psycho-social support for anybody who comes to us. It's not to say 'oh another gay group coming up', no we are human beings and as long as that is respected then we can move forward."
Emanuel Pech
"So it is already respected, you guys already have those equal rights in terms of social security, but the main thing is the issue of the fact that in Belize you legally cant marry someone that is of the same sex."
Coordinator
"Emmanuel your focus is on same-sex marriage. My focus as a human being, but who is identified as a lesbian is to have equal rights, whatever that equal rights at the constitution says and I would wish that people would stop looking at same-sex marriage and things of that sort. I would like to fight for the age of consent being removed from 16 years old, so there are many things that I see as a woman and not just as a lesbian. So don't be driven by just same-sex marriage, its a broad spectrum."
Emanuel Pech
"We know the U.S. Embassy is a big supporter of UNIBAM and the cause of what they champion. We also know that you have given some generous donations to that group for their programs. Should this group be expecting the same sort of support from the U.S embassy?"
Carlos Moreno, US Ambassador to Belize
"I think that remains to be seen, we see how cohesive and structured the group is, but certainly if they come up with a proposal that is consistent with what our strategy here is in Belize, we will certainly give it full consideration."
The group has a membership of about 40 to 50 persons.
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