Orozco Says Inaccurate Reports Hurt Advocacy for LGBT Community

Caleb Orozco

Before the Section fifty-three decision, in 2013 the National Assembly passed a raft of amendments to the Criminal Code to reform the law in relation to sexual offenses against children. Under that amendment, sexual crimes against male minors were criminalized – like crimes against female minors. Orozco, along with UNIBAM fought for the amendments. He spoke to us about how that relates to Craig’s case, and also reminded that his activism for the LGBT community carries a heavy price. There has been repeated and constant assault, both physical and verbal, of himself and other activists. This is compounded, Orozco told us, by the pliant response of authorities including the Police Department. The press statement slanders not only himself, but all those who cannot speak up for themselves.

Caleb Orozco, Executive Director, UNIBAM

“For us, I don’t think prejudice and in this case, bigotry, should prevail over the protection of a child, and that is exactly what had occurred with our opponents trying to twist the language of the Supreme Court of 2016 to stir up bigotry, to stir up misrepresentation of the facts, to stir up a hostile environment.  I’m not only mad for me, I am mad at the fact that these statements keep perpetuating themselves in cases where I have nothing to do with it. I am not a seventy-six year old man deciding to use my adult power to take advantage of an intellectually disabled sixteen-year-old. I, however, have the responsibility to remind people: if you’re going to listen to the news, and you’re going to make judgment, remember: marginalization cuts, goes both ways. Today you can marginalize a young person who makes a poor judgment; tomorrow it’s going to be you. We cannot continue to make [inaudible] judgment without analyzing the facts of a particular case and demonstrating that as a country, that as citizens, empathy has no value. We cannot turn around say corrupt government,’ and turn around and promote that kind of inhumanity against people who don’t have the same voice and the ability to speak up for themselves. At some point we have to take some sense of reflection and reflect on whether our humanity is respectful or constructive or it’s destructive.”

Writing to the offending media house, Orozco stated that any further harm which comes to him would be laid at their feet.