Peru overcomes bathroom dispute; will host top OAS meeting

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s congress has backed away from a threat to bar the Organization of American States’ top decision-making body over its request for a gender-neutral bathroom.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly late Friday to authorize the the scheduled Oct. 5-7 General Assembly of foreign ministers from across the hemisphere, whose theme is supposed to be: “Together against inequality and discrimination.”

A day earlier, the congress dominated by social conservatives had voted to withhold approval of the yearly meeting because the OAS had requested at least one gender-neutral bathroom be available.

Some lawmakers had suggested it could set a precedent for opening such bathrooms elsewhere in Peru or was a violation of the country’s sovereignty. But Peru’s Foreign Minister César Landa issued an appeal on Twitter Friday urging lawmakers to reconsider.

“This seriously damages the international image of Peru,” he said, and argued that the request would not create “future international obligations.”