NOW It IS About Snowden.

[Catherina]

150. I have deep, mad respect for him. Ever since I read of his activities for Madre Tierra years ago

He was years ahead of his time on important issues like global warming, genetically modified food, water privatization though you wouldn't know it by the Anglo media. Out of all his legislation, speeches, talks, workshops, and global activities, all they had to report to the public was their deliberate distortion of one sentence he said, that eating genetically modified, hormone-laden industrialized chicken destroyed traditional healthier raising practices and caused health problems like impotence. They twisted that into "Evo Morales says eating chicken causes homosexuality". I can't wait to hear what they come up with now that Bolivians got rid of McDonalds and Coca-Cola for health, environmental and labor reasons.

The press went after him quite viciously after he called on capitalist countries to reduce their global emissions and if they couldn't do that, to at least cap them at a 1% increase per year so they were already in a fury against this *little* upstart.

I love him for his concern for the environment, his fight for social justice. I found it astounding that the press even dared that distortion when it was under his leadership that Bolivia became the first country in the world to protect gender identity rights and to enshrine rights for LGBT into their constitution in 2009.

I am thankful the chicken lie isn't being repeated at DU. At least I hope it isn't. If it ever rears its ugly head, I hope people remember this post.

From wiki:

approved in a referendum in 2009. The 2009 Constitution defines Bolivia as a unitary plurinational, and secular (rather than a Catholic, as before) state, formally known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia. It calls for a mixed economy of state, private, and communal ownership; restricts private land ownership to a maximum of 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres); recognizes a variety of autonomies at the local and departmental level. It elevates the electoral authorities, to become a fourth constitutional power; introduces the possibility of recall elections for all elected officials; and enlarges the Senate. Members of the enlarged National Congress will be elected by first past the post voting in the future,[dubious – discuss] in a change from the previous mixed member proportional system. The judiciary is reformed, and judges will be elected in the future and no longer appointed by the National Congress. It declares natural resources to be the exclusive dominion of the Bolivian people, administered by the state.

Article 14.

I. All human beings have personality and legal capacity in accordance to the laws and enjoy the rights recognized by this Constitution, without any distinction.

II. The State prohibits and sanctions any form of discrimination founded on a reason of sex, color, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, origin, culture, nationality, citizenship, language, religious creed, ideology, political or philosophical affiliation, marital status, economic or social condition, type of occupation, grade of instruction, disability, pregnancy, or others that have as an objective or result in annulling or reducing the recognition, enjoyment and exercise, in conditions of equality, of the rights of every person.

III. The State guarantees to every person and collectivity, without any discrimination, the free and efficient exercise of the rights established in this Constitution, the laws and the international treaties of human rights.

IV. While exercising their rights, nobody will be obligated to do what this Constitution and the laws don't mandate, or deprive themselves from what they don’t prohibit.

and offenses are criminalized.

On October 8, Bolivian President Evo Morales signed the “Law against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination” (O45) into effect. Despite protests from journalists across the country, the Bolivian Legislative Assembly passed the law without modifying contested articles 16 and 23, which outline potential penalties for members of the media who publish racist or discriminatory ideas.

http://ain-bolivia.org/2010/10/conflict-and-consensus-the-anti-racism-and-discrimination-law-in-bolivia-part-i-content-and-justification-of-the-legislation/

Article 283 ter. – (Discrimination)

A person who arbitrarily or illegally obstructs, restricts, infringes upon, impedes or prevents the exercise of individual or collective rights, motivated by sex, age, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, cultural identity, family affiliation, nationality, citizenship, language, religious creed, ideology, political opinion or philosophy, marital status, economic or social situation, illness, occupation, level of education, being differently abled or having a physical, intellectual or sensory disability, pregnancy, regional origin, physical appearance and dress, will be sanctioned to a prison sentence between one and five years.

I. The sanction will be at least one third and at most one half more severe when:
The act is committed by a public servant or authority.
The act is committed by an individual in the provision of public service.
The act was committed with violence.

http://ain-bolivia.org/2010/10/conflict-and-consensus-the-anti-racism-and-discrimination-law-in-bolivia-part-i-content-and-justification-of-the-legislation/

Now they're working on legalizing same-sex marriage.

Deep, mad respect.