Lima, January 3 (RHC-teleSUR) -- The news of approval of same-sex civil unions in neighboring Chile has inspired Peruvian LGBT rights groups and they have spoken out against the lack of progress to approve a similar law in their country.

There was a movement to pass a bill to allow same-sex civil unions in the second half of last year but failed in Congress.

However, the main limitations of the proposed Civil Union law is that it would not give rights for adoption of children and it will not use the title “marriage.”

Many alternative proposals have emerged with different names and reduced rights but meant to appease those conservative forces who feel this is an attack on the concept of traditional marriage.

In Congress, the issue continues to be largely considered controversial with some representatives defending LGBT people as a discriminated minority but many others are worried about the opinion of the general public, which overall takes a conservative stance on this issue.

Josué Gutiérrez, spokesperson from President Ollanta Humala’s Nationalist Party, indicates that they have not taken a collective position on this issue and are instead letting members of Congress decide individually.

Others like Jorge Rimarachin from the leftist coalition, Frente Amplio-Acción Popular, openly support Civil Unions but explains that, "In other places of the world they are probably advancing more but here the Peruvian society because of its past and traditions, it is moving slowly on this issue.”

In contrast, conservative voices such as Congressman Martín Belaunde believe in alternative proposals that only provide economic rights to same-sex couples.

The Peruvian Congress will convene in March and LGBT groups are planning a series of demonstrations to pressure them to pass a Civil Union law. For Valentine 's Day, they will hold a mock same-sex wedding ceremony in public and on February 15th they will hold a demonstration with hundreds of homosexual couples kissing in front of the President's palace.