by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
LGBT people in several Latin American nations staged public actions on Valentine's Day.
In Peru, members of the Lima LGBTI Student Bloc held a kiss-in outside the Plaza San Miguel mall after being thwarted by security officers from doing it inside.
In a separate action, in Lima's Love Park, members of the Peruvian TTLGB Network staged five symbolic weddings between same-sex couples. Spokeswoman Susel Paredes said the group demands equal "civil rights."
In Chile, members of the United Movement of Sexual Minorities gathered in Santiago's Army Plaza to insist on marriage equality.
Spokesman Fernando Munoz said Chile lacks any formal recognition of same-sex partnerships.
In Guadalajara, Mexico, gay student groups staged a march for equal partnership rights.
Some 350 people set off from the University of Guadalajara and proceeded to downtown's Guadalajara Plaza in front of the Roman Catholic cathedral, where they held a kiss-in and 11 symbolic weddings.
Mexico City recently legalized same-sex marriage. The law will take effect in March.