Challenges to Being Gay in Latin America - It's Harder Than You Think Francis Torres - Brown Political Review
go to original March 28, 2014

Killed For Being Gay In Latin America - It's Worse Than You Think (The Young Turks)

Latin America has experienced a wave of pro-LGBT legislation in recent years. Argentina and Uruguay have legalized gay marriage, as have several cities and jurisdictions such as São Paolo and Mexico City. Chile has passed anti-discrimination laws. “Gay cure” clinics have been shut down in Ecuador. Brazil even co-sponsored a groundbreaking 2012 United Nations Human Rights Council resolution that calls for an end to worldwide discrimination on the grounds of sexuality. From Mexico City to Rio, LGBT culture is flourishing and progressively becoming more and more mainstream. In short, if you’re gay in Latin America, things are looking good.

Or at least, that’s what many news outlets keep saying.

Unfortunately, people have gotten too excited about the superficial progress taking place, without paying attention to the things that stay the same. It’s true that some Latin American countries have recently made great strides towards ensuring equality and penalizing discrimination through legislation. But while the political elites in cosmopolitan capitals across the region might seem to be more sympathetic to the plight of the LGBT community, many people still hold on to the ancestral machismo that has for so long defined gender relations in Latin America.

The recent upsurge in violence against LGBT individuals and organizations is an example of the problems that have not abated despite legal and political initiatives. The Organization of American States recently compiled a database recording incidences of homophobic violence in the region. The information that the organization has gathered paints a bleak picture, showing that on average one LGBT-identity-related homicide occurs every day in Latin America.

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