All Out: Two Minutes to Say Goodbye

"I told Richard I loved him. He died the next day. I wasn't allowed to be there." - Roberto, Peru Call on President Humala to support the civil unions before the vote on Tuesday and protect LGBT people in Peru: 21.4.2014 Richard and I lived together for 3 years and were really happy and deeply in love. One day, he complained about his neck and was soon hospitalized. They banned me from seeing him. They said I didn't count as family. I was able to sneak into his room for only two minutes. Enough time to hold his hand and tell him that I loved him. He died the next day. I wasn’t allowed to be there. This happened because we were a gay couple in Peru and there’s no law to protect us. But, next Tuesday there's a vote to decide whether families like mine can be protected with civil unions. The vote's going to be close but the President's voice could change everything. Will you join me in asking President Humala to publicly support civil unions so that no one else faces what Richard and I did? https://www.allout.org/peru Unlike our neighbours, Peru is far behind in recognising basic rights for lesbian, gay, bi and transgender people. This new law is a unique chance to start helping families like mine, who face so much discrimination and abuse every day because we're not protected. During his Presidential campaign, Humala promised to launch a National Program against Homophobia and to push for a civil unions. But, since the debate started he's been silent, just like many other of the MPs from his party – even though more than 9,000 Peruvians in 6 cities just took to the streets to support civil unions on Saturday. If thousands more of us inside Peru and around the world speak up before the Tuesday vote, we can grow the energy of those historic protests, spreading it to social media and the news. It could be enough to finally convince President Humala to finally stand up for all of Peru's families and make sure civil unions get approved in Congress. Click here to ask President Ollanta Humala to stand up for equality:https://www.allout.org/peru Last week, thousands of All Out members sent emails straight to the MPs from the Committee and convinced a few undecided voters to make the right choice. But there’s still MPs on the fence who might be waiting to see what the President does.  If we can join our voices and speak up right now, we can create the biggest petition ever in Peru's history, making it easier for President Humala to publicly stand for LGBT rights. Each battle we've won for equality reminds those who are fighting that still there is hope. I'm adding my name to the petition in memory of Richard. Will you join me?https://www.allout.org/peru Thank you. Roberto and the rest of the All Out team. SOURCES (in Spanish): Same sex Civil Union supporters march in Lima - Peruvian Times, 14 April, 2014 http://www.peruviantimes.com/14/same-sex-civil-union-supporters-march-in-lima/21986/ Same sex Civil Union measure sparks controversy in Peru - FoxNews, March 31st, 2014 http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/10/05/same-sex-civil-union-measure-sparks-controversy-in-peru/ Peru's Excecutive Power supports gay Civil Union bill - In Spanish - SentidoG, March 28th, 2014 http://www.sentidog.com/lat/2014/03/ejecutivo-de-peru-avala-proyecto-de-union-civil-homosexual.html Justice Ministry backs up the Civil Union bill - In Spanish - El Comercio, March 26th, 2014 http://elcomercio.pe/politica/congreso/ministerio-justicia-respalda-proyecto-union-civil-noticia-1718469 Support All Out We don't take money from governments or corporations, so the only people we have to listen to are our members. Our tiny team stretches every contribution to make them count. All Out is mobilizing millions of people to build a world where no person will have to sacrifice their family or freedom, safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love. This is a campaign of Purpose Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Our mailing address is: Purpose Action 115 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10003 USA Copyright © 2014 All Out, All rights reserved.