Benjamín Medrano Quezada
Benjamín Medrano Quezada | |
|---|---|
| Municipal president of Fresnillo, Zacatecas | |
| Assumed office 15 September 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Cecilia del Muro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nochistlán, Zacatecas[1] |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Political party | Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) |
| Other political affiliations | Labor Party (PT, until 2011)[2] |
Benjamín Medrano Quezada is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He served as state congressman from (2010 to 2013) and, on 7 July 2013, he was elected municipal president of Fresnillo, the largest municipality in the state of Zacatecas.[3]
According to press reports, he became the first openly-gay citizen in the history of Mexico to be elected municipal president,[3] being elected municipal president of Fresnillo, Zacatecas. He did not, however, became the first openly-gay Mexican citizen to be elected to a political post, as the country has elected openly-gay and lesbian congresspeople since 1997.[4]
Biography
Born into a poor family with eleven siblings in Nochistlán, Zacatecas, Medrano toured both Mexico and the United States as a musician for María Victoria and Angélica María.[1] Years later, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Law and, at the age of 21, lead a local chapter of a trade union for professional musicians.[1] Eventually, he became a businessman, recording several albums of ballads and Ranchera music and establishing a gay nightclub around 1994.[1]
He joined politics in 1998 as an ally of Ricardo Monreal; an influential politician in the state who had quit the PRI to continue his career in several parties of the political left. Years later, Medrano became chief adviser for governor Amalia García of the PRD. He joined the cabinet of David Monreal (a brother of Ricardo) in the city council of Fresnillo and on 2010 became a state congressman for the Labor Party (PT), but left the organization in 2011 when the party elected someone else to run for federal deputy in his political district.[2]
The Fresnillo area is a largely rural region with a high level of violent crimes related to the drug wars.[5] The municipality covers some 258 villages that are, according to Medrano, "full of tough country people, who don't have much information about what is going on elsewhere..."[6]
Medrano ran on a campaign of public safety against a smear campaign from his former party[1] that focused on his homosexuality[6] and alleged embezzlement of public funds.[1] In his platform, he also promised to crack down on police corruption, restore security and gain control over the drug cartels.[7] While Medrano is vocal about his homosexuality and has publicly defended transvestites' labor rights,[1] he opposes same-sex marriage and adoption, LGBT pride parades, "flamboyant" homosexuality, gay prostitution and abortion.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mejía, Irma (19 July 2013). "Primer edil gay del país gobernará en Fresnillo". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 July 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Castro, Juan (22 November 2011). "Abandona Benjamín Medrano las filas del PT y se declara legislador independiente". El Sol de Zacatecas (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 July 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Mexico's 1st gay mayor elected in rough northern state". Washington Post. Associated Press. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Patria Jiménez". Mexico. Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ Reporter, Daily Mail (2013-07-19). "Victory for gay rights in Mexico as singer who owns a gay bar is elected mayor of 'cowboy' town at the centre of drug war". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Daniel (2013-07-19). "Rural Region Elects Mexico's First Openly Gay Mayor". The Advocate. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
- ^ Laconangelo, David. "Benjamin Medrano, First Openly Gay Mayor In Mexico, Says He's 'Not In Favor' Of Gay Marriage [VIDEO]". Latin Times. Latin Times. Retrieved 2013-07-19.