Honduras, Central America

Homosexuality is legal in Honduras. However, Honduran lawmakers unanimously approved (March 2005) a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage and adoptions by same-sex couples. The vote by Honduras' National Assembly came just months after the government formally recognized several gay civil rights groups - a move that outraged church leaders in this overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country. The constitutional amendment also refuses to recognize same-sex marriages or unions that occurred legally in other countries. Needless to say, homophobia runs high in this Catholic country.

 

 

Honduras amends constitution to make legalising marriage equality almost impossible

The conservative Central American country of Honduras has amended its constitution to make legalising marriage equality and abortion almost impossible. Although homosexuality was legalised in Honduras in 1899, same-sex marriage has been banned in the country since the constitution was amended to explicitly forbid it in 2005. This amendment also prevented same-sex adoption and the… Read more »

Popular trans television presenter gunned down in Honduras

Santiago Carvajal is now the 78th person in the media to be murdered since 2001 Beloved transgender television presenter, Santiago Carvajal, died on Saturday (6 July)in Honduras after she was shot on Friday. She died at Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital in San Pedro Sula, the Central American country’s second most important city, according to El… Read more »

Gay club provides normalcy in one of world’s most dangerous cities

San Pedro Sula, Honduras — The two dance floors at Dance Floor, a gay club in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula’s Zona Viva, were full of people shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. Two men in their early 20s were dancing perreo, which roughly translates into “doggy style” in English, in one corner… Read more »

An incredible court ruling just ordered 16 countries to make same-sex marriage legal

A landmark court ruling has ordered 16 new countries to make same-sex marriage legal. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights reached a decision today on a marriage equality petition submitted two years ago by Costa Rica President Luis Guillermo Solis. 20 countries agreed to follow the court’s rulings when they signed the American Convention on… Read more »

Honduras: 215 LGBT people killed in 7 years

LGBTs at risk of torture, imprisonment & assassination, with impunity London, UK – A new report from Index on Censorship exposes the torture, imprisonment and assassination of LGBT people and activists in Honduras. The research, published by SAGE, carried out by journalist Duncan Tucker utilising data collected by on-the-ground NGOs, reveals some shocking statistics: *… Read more »

Report: 594 LGBT people murdered in Americas during 15-month period

A report the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released on Wednesday indicates anti-LGBT violence claimed the lives of at least 594 people in the Western Hemisphere between Jan. 1, 2013, and March 31 of this year. More than half of these reported deaths during this 15-month period took place in Brazil. These include an 8-year-old… Read more »

Honduran LGBT leader talks coup, U.S. gov’t

Honduran LGBT leader Nelson Arambu, from the Movimiento de Diverisdad en Resistencia, addressed a crowd of about 60 people at the Berger Park Cultural Center July 2. Arambu spoke about the issues facing LGBT people in Honduras and the links between the U.S. and Honduran governments. Arambu, who is openly gay, shared background information on… Read more »

Isabella: Honduran Woman Seeks Protection in U.S. Where She Can Embrace Her Gay Identity

Isabella* is a 31 year old woman who always knew she was gay, even when she was a little girl. In her home country of Honduras, however, LGBT individuals are routinely physically and sexually abused, tortured, and persecuted. It wasn’t until coming to the United States as a young adult, fleeing violence in Honduras, that… Read more »

Gay Honduran Immigrant Fights to Stay in Florida to Escape Torture, Abuse, Lawyer Says

Italo Morales is on the run. The 27-year-old from Honduras is trying to scrape up the cash to sneak through the border from Mexico to El Paso, Texas. After that, he plans on speeding through the southern United States on his way to Florida. He’s headed toward Hollywood – home for the past 10 years… Read more »

USAID launches partnership to promote LGBT rights

The U.S. Agency for International Development on Monday unveiled a public-private partnership designed to promote LGBT rights around the world. USAID will work with the Swedish International Development Corporation Agency, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law and Olivia Companies on… Read more »

Honduras reforms its penal code to end human right violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Honduras is moving a step closer to the UNAIDS vision of ‘zero discrimination’. Its Congress has recently adopted a reform of the Penal Code that will ensure legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “This has been a historic step for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex (LGBTI) populations that have… Read more »

Inciting hatred will be punished in Honduras

The reform was introduced by the addition to Article 321, whereby sanctions are taken against people who publicly, through the media, inciting racial discrimination either or sexual orientation and gender identity. On February 21, 2013 becomes a historic day for the LGBT community in Honduras, after long years of struggle process where organizations like LGTB… Read more »

Remembering Erick Martinez

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) is deeply saddened by the murder of Erick Martínez, a renowned LGBT rights advocate who served as the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Asociación Kukulcan, a respected LGBT rights organization in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Erick was a fearless human rights defender, respected and appreciated by his peers and… Read more »

Honduras is test of new US policy on gay rights

San Pedro Sula, Honduras – From U.N. chambers to the halls of the State Department, global pressure on countries to protect the rights of homosexuals and transgender people is rising. For Josue Hernandez, the new emphasis can’t come fast enough. The 33-year-old gay activist bears the scar of the bullet that grazed his skull in… Read more »

Gay Honduras News & Reports 2011

1 Six trans women killed in Honduras in two months 2/11 2 Activists: Investigate Honduran Transgender Murders 2/11 3 Abuso policial contra homosexuales en Honduras 4/11 4 Fighting homophobia 7/11 5 Ricky Martin’s Sexuality Threatens Honduras’ Morality 10/11 1 February 2011 – PinkNews 1 Six trans women killed in Honduras in two months by PinkNews.co.uk… Read more »

Gay Honduras News & Reports

1 Religious leaders criticize government for recognizing gays groups 8/04 2 Honduras Measure to Ban Same-Sex Marriage Mobilizes Rights Groups 1/05 3 Honduras Bans Gay Marriage & Adoption 3/05 4 Honduras Donny Reyes (m), treasurer of LGBT rights group 3/07 5 Heterogender Homosexuality in Honduras 12/08 6 Murders highlight increasing violence against trans people 1/09… Read more »