Costa Rica IDAHO Report 2012

Costa Rican activists joined public institutions to demand equal rights on May 17. With a march in downtown Guadalupe, dozens of people paralyzed traffic to demand an end to homophobia and unite for equality, confronting President Laura Chinchillan, who declared that human rights were not a priority of her administration. Ombudsman for the People Ofelia Taitelbaum issued a formal request to the Ministry of Education to include May 17 in the school calendar.
The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica passed a motion declaring the Legislature to be an institution that promoted human rights, free from homophobia, transphobia and lesbophobia and all forms of discrimination, marginalization or exclusion on the ground of sexual orientation. The motion was approved as part of the commemoration of the National Day Against Homophobia (this being the denomination under which the Government of Costa Rica has recognized May 17 as an official national date). The initiative urges Congress to promote and support action against homophobia and to create a working environment of respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Other events held in Costa Rica include a forum on sexual orientation and gender identity, a forum on diverse populations, and a fair.