The Chilean Congress on Wednesday rejected a complaint against openly gay Education Minister Marco Antonio Ávila that a group of conservative lawmakers filed against him.
President Gabriel Boric himself denounced and repudiated the series of homophobic statements against his Cabinet member. The traditional right and the extreme right voted as a block in favor of dismissing Ávila.
They accused him of infringing upon parents’ rights to educate their children and failing to fulfill his responsibilities to address an alleged “deep educational crisis.” Lawmakers voted 78-69 to reject the complaint that 10 conservative lawmakers filed.
Four of the complaint’s seven chapters contained references to the Education Ministry’s gender or sexual education policies they said Ávila implemented.