Senator Yolanda de la Torre Valdez, of the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI), said that debating and approving President Enrique Peña Nieto’s proposal for marriage equality will not be a priority for the PRI in the upcoming legislative sessions.
President Peña Nieto, also of the PRI, announced his support for marriage equality in May.
De la Torre Valdez, who represents the state of Durango in the Senate, said that while she recognizes the importance of marriage equality, she thinks that Peña Nieto’s proposal has polarized society and should be discussed openly by all affected parties, including the Catholic Church.
“What’s the priority? Right now, I think we are not prepared to make decisions,” she said. “This is an important issue, but it is a polarizing issue, that should be debated publicly. I think we need open debates. We can’t pass marriage equality without having a broad national debate. It would polarize society.”
De la Torre added that the issue of marriage equality is even more polarizing than legalizing medicinal marijuana use.