A 12-Year-Old Boy Just Single-Handedly Blocked Mexican Anti-Gay Haters, Compared To ‘Tank Man’

A Mexican boy singlehandedly tries to stop a homophobic rally (image courtesy Manuel Rodriguez, Regeneracion)
A Mexican boy singlehandedly tries to stop a homophobic rally (image courtesy Manuel Rodriguez, Regeneracion)

This weekend may have seen one of the most touching moments of the year–and it isn’t related to our election. A brave little Mexican boy was so disgusted by the homophobia in his town that he tried to stop an anti-gay march all by himself.

Mexico is in the midst of a debate over marriage equality that is almost as furious as ours. Homophobia has long run rampant in Mexican culture. For instance, if you’ve ever watched a soccer game involving the Mexican national team–popularly known as “El Tri”–you’ve probably heard Mexican fans taunt players with the chant “Ehhhh, puto!” (Hey, f****t!) It’s most commonly directed at opposing goalkeepers during goal kicks. Mexico narrowly escaped being docked points during the 2014 World Cup after its fans screamed the slur at Croatian players.

Last summer, Mexico’s Supreme Court declared that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. However, unlike Obergefell v. Hodges, the Mexican ruling did not have the effect of automatically nullifying every state-level ban. Instead, any LGBT couple can marry by getting a personalized injunction from a federal judge. Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in eight states and Mexico City. Legal challenges are currently pending in the other 22 states, three of which already recognize civil unions.

If Mexico’s social conservatives weren’t already enraged, they really hit the ceiling when President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed formally enshrining marriage equality via constitutional amendment. Partly in response to this, the National Front for the Family, a coalition of social conservatives, organized rallies across Mexico on Saturday. Catholic priests and bishops openly encouraged their parishoners to take part.

One of those rallies took place in Celaya, roughly three-and-a-half hours north of Mexico City. When photographer Manuel Rodriguez, a photographer for the Mexican newsmagazine Regeneracion, started taking pictures of the marchers, he was stunned to see a little boy standing in the street with his arms spread out. He initially thought the boy was only playing in the street.

However, this boy definitely wasn’t playing games. He told Rodriguez that he was 12 years old, and felt that he had to take a stand because “I have a gay uncle and I hate the hatred.” Rodriguez immediately saw a parallel with “Tank Man,” the Tiananmen Square protester who singlehandedly faced down a Chinese tank.

That little boy is an inspiration to us all–on both sides of the border.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.