Just this week, Victory Institute and our partner in Colombia, Caribe Afirmativo, launched the Vote for Equality campaign website ahead of the 2018 elections. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for March 11, and the presidential elections are set to take place on May 27. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a run-off election between the top two presidential candidates will take place on June 17.
The purpose of the Vote for Equality campaign is to promote a free, transparent, and informed vote. A local consultancy team created an equality index to score candidates from each party based on their positions for or against LGBTQ equality. Candidates’ scores derived from a questionnaire sent to them by Caribe Afirmativo, their social media posts, public statements, and information posted to their campaign websites. As a result of the extensive research, the website displays easy-to-read charts on each House of Representatives, Senate, and Presidential candidate’s stance on equality.
One noteworthy candidate is Tatiana Piñeros, Victory trainee who aspires to become the country’s first openly trans Senator. The campaign highlights each candidate running for office, such as Tatiana, and provides links to their campaign websites and Twitter accounts. The campaign is also being used as an advocacy tool by activists to educate their communities on the importance of LGBTQ voices in government and encourage citizens to vote on March 11.
