A government-sponsored poll conducted in Colombia’s capital found that 63% of Bogota residents are in favor of same-sex marriage, newspaper El Tiempo reports.
The telephone poll, conducted between December 2009 and January 2010 and published Thursday, asked 1,200 Bogotanos between the ages of 18 and 59 if they supported gay civil unions. Of those interviewed, only 36% said they thought it should not be permitted
The poll found that women were more likely to be in favor of same-sex marriage than men, and also reported a positive correlation between socio-economic status and liberal views.
“In the lower stratas more work needs to be done … There was a greater acceptance of the issue among those with higher education,” said Carolina Giraldo, director of the Bogota Mayor’s Office’s Sexual Diversity Department.
Giraldo said the study was undertaken to investigate discrimination, and the vulnerability of the rights of the LGBT community in Bogota.
The study suggests that there is more acceptance of homosexuality in Bogota than in other parts of Colombia.
The lesbian mayor of the Bogota municipality of Chapinero caused controversy on Wednesday when she announced plans to “marry” her girlfriend.
The strictly Catholic Andean country has relatively liberal laws regarding gay rights, allowing gay couples to receive the same benefits as a straight couple after registering their relationship before a notary, which is what the couple plan to do.
