Hundreds of Puerto Ricans from the LGBT community, joined by their allies, marched through the historic streets of the capital, San Juan, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014.

“The parade is held to educate our reality as LGBT communities and to show that we are not alone” noted David Román Efe spokesman for All Puerto Rico organization, which is directed by Pedro Julio Serrano.

LGBTI activists and allies at the San Juan city legislature on IDAHOT 2014.

Román was one of the hundreds of people who attended the activity under the slogan “For what is needed”, which started in the Totem Plaza del Quinto Centenario, San Juan, to finish at the city’s principal legislative building.

Serrano, meanwhile, noted in a statement that the purpose of the parade was to encourage broader society to end discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “Puerto Rico has to pay off its debt to human rights, so that no one is above anyone,” Serrano said.

The organizers asked participants to use the hashtags #‎porquenosdeben‬ ‪#‎IDAHOT‬ ‪#‎prlibredeodio and‬ ‪#‎todossomoslgbttiq‬.

You can watch a video from the event here:

Report also available in Spanish.

Photos of events:

Media Reports:

http://pedrojulioserrano.com/2011/05/18/marchan-en-contra-de-la-homofobia-y-la-transfobia/
http://puertorico.univision.com/ultima-hora/puerto-rico/video/2013-05-17/celebran-dia-contra-homofobia

A graduate from the University of Puerto Rico, she also will be the first Latina judge on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania court.

The president welcomed the decision. Speaking at an LGBT Pride Month ceremony, held at the White House, he said “I want to congratulate Nitza Quiñones Alejandro, who just a few hours ago was confirmed by the Senate, making her the first openly gay Hispanic federal judge in our country’s history,” Barack Obama said to a cheering audience. “Good news.”

“We are very pleased to see yet another highly qualified, openly LGBT nominee confirmed to the federal bench – particularly a woman of color who helps reflect the diversity of the American people in the judiciary,” said Michael Cole-Schwartz, communications director for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights group.

Senator Bob Casey (Dem, PA) said Quiñones was “a great American story,” noting that she had been born and educated in Puerto Rico.

Reports Philly.com, ‘Quiñones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of Puerto Rico.

She worked with Community Legal Services from 1975 to 1977, was an adviser for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1977 to 1979, and was a staff attorney for what is now the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 1979 to 1991.’

For more information see:

Philly.com: ‘Senate approves two Pa. judges to federal bench‘

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz and Sen. Ramón Nieves Pérez, who sponsored the sweeping anti-LGBT non-discrimination bill the Senate on Thursday passed by a 15-11 vote margin, unfurled an LGBT Pride flag from the balcony of City Hall as marchers passed. She stood with members of Butterflies Trans Association, a trans advocacy group, while wearing a white hand band with the word “equity” on it as she spoke from the steps of the Puerto Rican capitol at the end of the march.

“I say from the bottom of my heart to those who are listening to us — all of Puerto Rico; we are all equal,” Yulín said.

Alicia Burgos, the mother of Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and his father spoke to marchers from the back of a pick-up truck that stopped near Plaza de Colón in Old San Juan. “We are marching against homophobia,” she said.

Source: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/05/18/thousands-attend-march-for-lgbt-rights-in-puerto-rico/

The Education Department has just approved and put into practice a new framework for sexual education, which includes in the curricula the teaching of concepts such as abstinence and contraception, and such values as respect, trust and responsibility. The document does not mention sexual orientation or gender identity and does not differentiate between sex and gender.