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Theater at Noon
Piano concert by Sergio Sandí, June 22, 12:10 p.m., National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3/5. Info: 2221-5341, www.teatronacional.go.cr.

The Big Four Concert
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, recorded at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 22, 6 p.m., Eugene O'Neill Theater, CCCN, Barrio Dent. Info: 2207-7500, www.centrocultural.cr.

“Paparulo in extremis”
Performed by Teatro Paté, Tico Group, June 22, 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center, Barrio Escalante, Av. 13, Ca. 31. Info: 2257-2919, www.ccecr.org.

The controversy over the recognition of same-sex civil unions in Costa Rica is heating up.

In the upcoming days, the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) will announce whether it has received petitions with enough valid signatures to force a referendum on the issue of civil unions for gay couples on Dec. 5, the same day that nationwide municipal elections will be held.

According to the TSE, the organization Citizen Observatory, which is promoting the referendum, was required to present petitions with the signatures of over 136,750 voters, or 5 percent of the voting population, prior to June 15 in order for the issue to qualify to appear on the ballot.

As the TSE tallies the signatures, advocates and opponents of civil unions have become increasingly vocal. In early June, the Ombudswoman's Office released a statement questioning the wisdom and legality of subjecting an issue of constitutional rights of a segment of the population to a popular vote.

Meanwhile, the daily La Nación quoted TSE President Luis Antonio Sobrado as saying the referendum would not present problems of constitutionality because it would address the issue of expanding, not restricting, fundamental rights of citizens.

The Diversity Movement, a citizens' group that supports civil unions, has held several activities to voice the necessity of civil unions, and denounce the denial of equal rights to gay couples under existing laws.

“This is not about permitting marriages, this is about giving us equal rights,” Abelardo Araya, president of the Diversity Movement, told The Tico Times. “There is a large gay community in the country and they are denied the rights given to married heterosexuals simply because of sexual preference. There are very clear laws guaranteeing equal rights to citizens and we think that approving civil unions will ensure that everyone can enjoy the same set of benefits.”

Several widely-supported groups, including religious groups, oppose same-sex civil unions.

If the TSE announces that a sufficient number of valid signatures have been received, the vote will go ahead, becoming the second referendum in the nation's history after the 2007 poll on CAFTA. If the referendum is approved, Costa Rica would become the first country in Central America to recognize same-sex civil unions. Such civil unions are recognized in several other Latin American countries, including Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay. Earlier this year, Mexico was the first Latin American country to allow same sex marriages.

“It's important to note that in the strongest democracies in the world, this has been a popularly discussed theme,” said Costa Rica's foreign minister, René Castro, earlier this month. “We will not be the first democracy, or the last, that will make a decision of this nature. I think that we live in a country with a sufficiently mature democracy to be able to conduct a discussion of this nature in a rational manner.”

See the June 25 print or digital edition of The Tico Times for more on this story.

Dave Siegwald spent an unexpected three days of his vacation fighting corruption in Costa Rica.

On his way back from the Guanacaste, he was pulled over by a policeman and told he was traveling well over the speed limit. Siegwald questioned the accusation, as he had just been warned by a friend about the new fines and was driving carefully.

But the policeman tapped on his radar gun and told Siegwald he was due a ¢220,000 ($411) ticket.

“He told me, ‘I am going to be nice. You only have to give me $50,'” Siegwald said, recalling the incident.

Many tourists would grab the discount and speed off, but Siegwald, a former criminal investigator, wasn't taking the bait.

“I guess I'm hardheaded,” he said. “I hate corruption. I said to myself, ‘I will report the son of gun.'”

And that's just what he did.

Once back in San José, he went to the offices of the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ). Despite spending the next three days of his vacation aiding in an investigation, he said he did what he had to do.

“It seems like everyone complains about the way things are here,” said Siegwald, a frequent visitor to Costa Rica. “My message is that you can do something about it.”

The OIJ is using Siegwald's story as an example of what foreigners should do if a police officer asks for a bribe. Authorities advise victims to take down the policeman's name and badge number and call 800-8000-645 or visit the closest OIJ office to file a complaint.

“They seem like they are trying really hard to prevent this from happening,” Siegwald said of the police efforts to curb bribes. “They were very professional, spoke English and moved things quickly.”

Siegwald said he paid the ¢220,000 ($411) fine, but is fighting it through his credit card company in the United States.

A low rumble signaled the arrival of about 1,500 skateboarders coasting through the streets of San José on Sunday.

For the third time, the skaters joined others from 70 countries around the world in celebrating International Skateboarding Day. In Costa Rica, the skaters gathered at Parque Morazan in central San José for the morning skate.

“There are so many skateboarders (in Costa Rica ),” said José Miguel Villa, 21, who sported a funky rainbow-colored tank top as he skated. “You can meet skaters from everywhere.”

Skaters from both coasts swarmed the park at 10 a.m. for a trick contest, with the best tricks earning cash prizes from sponsors. Those not entered in the competition encircled the pavilion in the center to watch participants kick-flip from the top of the stairs to the ground below. “Ooohs” and “aaahs” were reserved for both solid landings and hard spills.

Some observers stood on their skateboards to catch a better view. Skaters found other ways to turn the board into an extension of one's body. Some rested on top of the boards under the shade of a tree. When it started to rain, the skateboards were transformed into mildly-efficient umbrellas.

To ride a skateboard means to be a part of a counterculture. Riders wore skinny jeans, knit caps, long hair and tattoos. Many skateboarders managed a piercing in some exposed area of flesh on the face (neck, nose, lip, chin, eyebrow). A couple dozen skaters wore shirts that said “ Calma, Estas Calles Son Nuestras ” (Easy, these streets are ours.)

After the competition, skaters flocked into the streets again. Traffic weaved through and around skaters as the stampede cruised toward Parque de la Paz south of downtown. The San José Municipality supported the event and helped secure the streets for the skaters.

At Parque de la Paz, organizers had installed ramps, grind rails and benches for a free-for-all skate. Riders overtook the park grounds trying their best to stay upright after going airborne.

Marlon Solano, 21, and Brandon Castro, 15, excelled among the pack. Both had arrived from Jacó, a surf town on the central Pacific coast, to take part in the skating frenzy. Castro, who flipped a tongue ring around in his mouth as he talked, had won competitions in his age group in Jacó, while Solano has skated for six years. While most skaters bailed while using the ramps, Solano and Castro consistently came down with feet firmly on their boards.

But celebrating the skateboarding holiday was not about competition.