Venezuelan Gays To Get Discrimination Law?

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s constitutional reforms may pit him against the Catholic Church.

The South American nation’s politicos are currently drafting a revised constitution and plan on including a gay discrimination clause. Bloomberg reports:

A Venezuelan legislative committee voted to lower the voting age and protect gay rights in a expansion of President Hugo Chavez’s plan to rewrite the country’s constitution.

Venezuelans would gain the right to vote at age 16 under the proposed changes, down from the current age of 18, and discrimination based on sexual orientation would be formally outlawed in the constitution, according to a statement on the National Assembly’s Web site.

Anti-discrimination laws came up in 1999, when the government rewrote the constitution. Though favored by the people, the Catholic Church fought tirelessly against them.

Politicos believe the proposals will help draw youth toward the “Bolivarian revolution”. It would seem our capitalist government’s getting one-upped by a bunch of socialists. Shame…