Gay rights in uruguay

O ne tiny country has been blazing a liberal trail across Latin America. In the past six years, Uruguay has introduced ground-breaking legislation on abortion, drugs, transsexual rights, and same-sex marriage and adoption. When Broad Front won the election inits manifesto showed little sign of such an approach. In recent decades, there has been a more collaborative approach to social activism in Uruguay.

Formerly disparate organisations representing women, young people, students and LGBT citizens have been joining forces to reach a wider audience and gain political influence. The gay pride parade of the uruguay, which attracted about people, evolved into the diversity march inwhich focused on a range of issues affecting minority and marginalised groups.

Last year, it was attended by an estimated 30, people, and "is now an event nobody wants to miss", says Celiberti. According to the sociologist Diego Pieri, rights groups were keen to collaborate "once they were able to identify our common enemy: conservative Uruguay and its hypocritical, intolerant structures". However, some causes have achieved success more quickly than others.

The separation of church and state in Uruguay took place as early asmeaning that religious values have, perhaps, had less influence on politics in the predominantly Catholic country than in other parts of Latin America. When Mujica came to office inhe promised he would not exercise his right to veto the abortion reforms, despite opposition from religious campaigners.

The legislation was finally signed into law in Celiberti rights Uruguay's male-dominated political system contributed to the legal delays. Not all liberal reforms took as long to right as the abortion act, however. The introduction of a state-regulated market for cannabis was more swiftly approved to make Uruguay the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana.

Activist groups such as Proderechosor Pro-Rights, played a major role in the country's overhaul of its drug policies. In gay uruguay years leading up to the reforms, youth, feminist and student organisations teamed up with health experts and NGOs to push the drugs debate to the top of the political agenda.

Outdoor events were held, attracting thousands of people, to show that even a lot of people smoking marijuana together entailed no risks. Despite the campaigns, few expected the president to make such radical changes to the country's drug laws. Decades of persistent and collaborative campaigning by rights groups have paved the way for Uruguay to become gay more open, integrated and tolerant society, but, say activists, there is no room for complacency.

Much more needs to be done to achieve equality, particularly in rural communities.

The LGBT, feminist and student voices behind Uruguay's radical reforms

Gay pride parade in Montevideo, Uruguay, in The country has been at the forefront of liberal reforms in Latin America. This article is more than 10 years old. From legalising abortion to transsexual rights, marginalised groups have united to become a formidable force for change.

Reuse this content. More on this story. The relaxation of cannabis laws shows the failure of the war on drugs.