Progress in South America has its ups and downs. If this candidate wins, that's a down.

Cartes, the candidate of the Colorado Party, also has made statements
“comparing gay people to ‘monkeys’ and likening the support of same-sex
marriage to believing in ‘the end of the world,’” the Times reports.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/04/17/paraguay-presidential-candidates-antigay-remarks-shock-nation

Let's hope this loses him the election, as it bids fair to do, according to the article.

Paraguay. Have you looked at a map? Do you think this candidate has a chance of winning the election?

Paraguay. Have you looked at a map? Do you think this candidate has a chance of winning the election?

He is the front runner at the moment so he is the most likely candidate to win, yes. That said, about 20 percent of their voters are undecided. That's a lot of undecided. The second most popular candidate has a lot of dirt on him as well. Tough choice I guess.

"Among other things, Horacio Cartes said he would shoot himself in the genitals if his son wanted to marry a man."

We can only hope.

Cartes won.

Don't take your boyfriend to Paraguay.

Bummer.

When it rains it pours.

Another setback in South America.

This time Columbia.

The public opinions support isn't nearly there, and surprise surprise either are their legislators:

http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Colombia-lawmakers-reject-controversial-gay-marriage-bill-310997

The bill was
rejected by 51 out of 102 lawmakers in the Senate - with 17 in favor.
The negative vote was widely expected, given that lawmakers from the
ruling coalition had made an alliance to oppose the initiative.

Other media reports said the victorious anti-gay side had resorted to the politics of disgust, such as talking about how "dirty" gay sex is.

On a brighter note, who would have though there would be so much progress on gay civil rights in "macho" and Catholic Latin America in at least some countries at this point in history? Not me.