Chile sailor publicly discloses his homosexuality

By Washington Examiner

Published August 28, 2014 3:30am ET

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Chile sailor publicly discloses his homosexuality — Mauricio Ruiz, 24, sailor of the Chilean Navy, right, comes out publicly as gay during a press conference in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday 27, 2014. Ruiz who was accompanied by Rolando Jimenez, left, president of the Homosexual Liberation and Integration Movement, is the first member of the Chilean armed forces ever to come out publicly as gay with the approval of the High Command of the Chilean navy. (AP Photo/Eva Vergara) | Eva Vergara

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A sailor with Chile’s navy on Wednesday announced he is gay, an unprecedented public declaration in this socially conservative South American nation.

Chile has traditionally been a tough place for homosexuals, although the country decriminalized gay sex in 1999 and attitudes toward gays are evolving. The killing of a gay man in Chile 2012 set off a national debate that prompted Congress to pass a hate crimes law.

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