Peru to sack ’scandalous’ gays from police force

(Lima, Peru) Peruvian police officers who “damage the image” of law enforcement by engaging in homosexual behavior can lose their jobs under a new law designed to overhaul an unpopular national police force.

The new law that went into effect Tuesday also says officers will be fired for taking bribes and abusing detainees.

In sexual matters, however, distinctions are made between heterosexual and homosexual police officers. Those who commit adultery only face suspension, but expulsion is required for those who engage in “sexual relations with people of the same sex that cause a scandal or damage the image of the institution.”

Peru’s Supreme Court in 2004 overturned a ban on homosexuality in the police and military. But like the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” - which bans homosexuals from disclosing their sexual orientation - the new law tries to sidestep the issue without banning homosexuality outright.

“The only thing that is penalized now are the scandals that can be caused by a scandalous relationship, if they are homosexuals,” Interior Ministry spokesman Fransisco Ugarteche said Thursday.

http://www.365gay.com/news/peru-to-sack-scandalous-gays-from-police-force/

Gay public officials are a gold mine

One of the features of DADT is that the gay person serving in uniform is not allowed to act on his/her orientation. It's, in essence, a vow of celibacy for one's entire tour of duty.

The policy of these Peruvians seems to be that if you're a closeted gay person in a stable, closeted relationship, and no one notices and you don't bring any "scandal" (whatever that means) to the PD, then you "get" to keep your job.

They've got a ways to go.