Gustavo Petro, the mayor of Colombia's capital, Bogota, has launched the LGBTI Affairs Branch to address local problems of discrimination based on sexual-orientation.
The group will also build an education and events venue to further raise awareness of other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex issues throughout the city.
Despite a 2007 ruling that granted Colombian same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, reports of homophobia continue to plague the city. According to a LGBTI Public Policy Poll, up to 98% of Colombian gay and lesbians report discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
Petro, the former leftist guerilla elected to office October 2011, has long been a vocal supporter of gay, bi and trans rights. In January 2012 he appointed the capital's first transgender public official.
