South America
Gay couple fights back after Ecuador refuses marriage application
Rather than accepting the government’s legal reasoning for rejecting their marriage application, one gay couple in Ecuador is challenging both the Constitution and the Civil Code on their road to marriage equality A rejection from the government will not stop this gay Ecuadorian couple from obtaining a marriage certificate. Santiago Vinces, 23, and Fernando Saltos,… Read more »
Peru celebrities pose as gay couples for acceptance campaign
Some of Peru’s leading celebrities have posed together as if they were gay couples for a new tolerance campaign aimed at eliminating homophobia in the South American nation A new billboard campaign in Lima, Peru hopes to help eliminate homophobia by showing famous Peruvians posing as if they were gay couples to show people that… Read more »
150,000 march in Buenos Aires Gay Pride Parade
It is estimated that nearly 150,000 turned out for Saturday’s annual Buenos Aires Gay Pride Parade, the third since Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Massive crowds came out to take part in the 22nd Buenos Aires Gay Pride Parade on Saturday, starting with a group kiss before 150,000 took to the streets. The parade wound its… Read more »
‘Human Rights Need Your Leadership’ – IACHR tells Guyana Government
Joint Media Release from Red Thread, FACT, A.I.D.S. and SASOD Four Guyanese civil society organisations – Red Thread, Family Action Consciousness Togetherness (FACT), Artistes In Direct Support (A.I.D.S.) and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) – working on intersectional rights issues affecting child across the country, made submissions at a hearing with the state… Read more »
Chilean court convicts 4 in murder of gay man that prompted Chile to adopt hate crime law
Santigao, Chile – Four Chilean men were convicted of first-degree murder Thursday for beating a gay man to death and carving swastikas into his body. Daniel Zamudio’s slaying set off a national debate about hate crimes in Chile that led Congress to pass an anti-discrimination law. As the judge read the guilty verdict, Zamudio’s mother… Read more »
Large Majority Of Peruvians Oppose Civil Unions For Gay Couples
A large majority of Peruvians oppose a proposed law which would recognize the relationships of gay and lesbian couples with civil unions. According to a poll of 1,200 people conducted by Datun, 70 percent of Peruvians oppose the measure, while 25 percent are in favor. Five percent of respondents refused to answer. Opposition is lowest… Read more »
Hundreds March In Paraguay For Gay Rights
Roughly 400 gay people joined a public march in downtown Asuncion, Paraguay on Saturday to demand greater rights. Activists also want the government to investigate the murders of transgender people. Under the slogan of “holiday, in memory and protest,” the demonstrators marched through the city to the Pantheon of Heroes, Asuncion’s memorial to the country’s… Read more »
Judges allow first same-sex marriages in Colombia
Two civil court judges have begun marrying same-sex couples in Colombia after two couples sought to get married after a Constitutional Court deadline for the Congress to act had passed Colombia had its first same-sex marriages last week after two civil court judges decided that the passing of a Constitutional Court deadline meant that they… Read more »
A New Gay Paradise – Venezuela’s Margarita Island
The Island or Margarita, or better, Margarita Island, is the largest of the New Sparta State Islands, one of Venezuela’s 23 states, which also includes the islands of Coche and Cubagua. It’s a Caribbean island, just northwest of the Venezuelan coast. Porlamar is largest city on the island, and tourism is the main industry on… Read more »
Guyana man will advise World Bank on LGBT poverty
The World Bank wants to know what it can do to alleviate poverty among millions of LGBT people around the world. To help answer that question, the bank invited the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation to select an LGBT representative to attend the annual meetings of the bank and the International Monetary Fund on… Read more »
Trial of gay Chilean’s alleged killers begins
The trial of four men who are accused of beating a gay man to death in the Chilean capital last year began on Monday. Prosecutors contend Patricio Ahumada Garay and three other self-described neo-Nazis — Raúl López Fuentes, Alejandro Angulo Tapia and Fabián Mora Mora — attacked Daniel Zamudio in a Santiago park on March… Read more »
Same-sex civil unions bill introduced in Peru
Peruvian Congressman Carlos Bruce filed a draft bill proposal on same-sex civil unions “We’re trying to end discrimination that a group of Peruvians face simply for having a different sexual orientation,” Carlos Bruce told Peru 21 on Thursday. The bill proposes the creation of a new category under which same-sex couples can register and legalize… Read more »
Guyana: Judge rules that crossdressing is legal unless it’s done for an ‘improper purpose’
A judge in Guyana has stirred controversy among human rights and trans activists by ruling on a 120-year-old law over crossdressing, stating it is only a criminal offence if it is done for an “improper purpose.” Associated Press reports that on Sunday, a group called the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination said the court’s decision… Read more »
Gay Characters Go Mainstream on Argentine Primetime TV
A love story between two men and a transvestite day-time host fight for the top of the ratings in Latin America’s most gay-friendly TV slate. Buenos Aires – A pink-colored full spread in Sunday’s edition of Argentina’s most conservative newspaper, La Nacion, promoted a turning point in last Monday’s episode of El Trece’s Farsantes, the… Read more »
Enorme preocupacion de la FALGBT por expresiones discriminatorias de funcionarios rusos en Argentina tras reunion en la Embajada
La Federación Argentina de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Trans se reunió con funcionarios de la Embajada de Rusia en Argentina para expresar preocupación por la creciente violencia y preocupación contra el colectivo LGBT en ese país. De la reunión participó también María Rachid, legisladora de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y Secretaria General de la… Read more »
First Gay Couple Registers To Marry In Uruguay
A gay couple together 14 years was the first to register to get married as a new marriage law in Uruguay took effect on Monday. Sergio Miranda and Rodrigo Borda completed the registration process in Montevideo at 7:32 AM local time. “We’re celebrating and sharing because this law marks that we all have rights, no… Read more »
Uruguay Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect Monday
A gay marriage law in Uruguay takes effect on Monday, though it might be several days before the first wedding takes place. Among the first expected to marry are two men together 14 years. Sergio Miranda and Rodrigo Borda expect to be the first couple to receive a wedding date from the Registry Office as… Read more »
Guyanese are largely either tolerant or accepting of homosexuals
According to CADRES survey The survey “Attitudes toward Homosexuals in Guyana” which was launched, last week, in Guyana has demonstrated that Guyanese are largely either tolerant or accepting of homosexuals. However, about 25 per cent of the population could genuinely be described as “homophobic”. On the other hand the survey shows that about 58 per… Read more »
Brazilian Group To Protest Pope Francis With Gay Kiss-In
A group in Rio de Janeiro is expected to protest Pope Francis’ stance on gay rights with a kiss-in. Francis on Monday will arrive in Brazil, where he will be participating in World Youth Day, a weeklong event that celebrates the contributions of young Roman Catholics. “I am arriving in Brazil in a few hours… Read more »
Queer Girl City Guide: São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo is the kind of city that locals love to hate; like any metropolis in the world, you’ll want to scream during rush hour, complain about the crowds (the population is a little over 11 million), whine about the parking prices and cost of living. However, once you take a deep breath and remind… Read more »
Colombia’s first same-sex marriage to take place 24 July
A Bogota judge has said the gay couple should easily receive their marriage license using the same laws used for heterosexual partnerships Colombia’s first gay marriage is set to take place 24 July 2013. A Colombian judge has approved what is considered to be the nation’s first same-sex wedding. Carmen Lucía Rodríguez Díaz, a judge… Read more »
Peru: Reporting Bisexual Male Partners at Significant Risk of HIV
From: Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: July 2013 – Volume 40 – Issue 7 – p 569-574 Abstract Background: Detailed information on the sexual behavior of bisexual, non–gay-identified men and the relationship between same-sex behavior and HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) incidence is limited. This study provides information on the sexual behavior with male partners of… Read more »
Sex workers call for the legalization of sex work in Bolivia
One of Bolivia’s sex workers organizations, Organización de Trabajadoras Nocturnas (OTN), has called for the legalization of sex work in Bolivia and for sex workers to be granted retirement benefits and health insurance. A bill on the subject will be debated in Bolivian parliament in this year. The text of the bill has been published… Read more »
Brazil’s Evangelicals launch new gay marriage protest
Thousands of evangelical Christians rallied in Brasilia to protest against a legal ruling allowing gay marriage and against an anti-homophobia bill they said limits freedom of expression. It was the second such demonstration in less than two weeks to defend “the traditional family” and oppose abortion and homosexuality. Wednesday’s Brasilia protest was called by Pastor… Read more »
Gay Marriage Goes to Court in Colombia
Letter From Bogota: It’s getting better in Latin America. In recent years, advocacy campaigns on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals have paved the way for legislation and judicial decisions that limit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. At the core of the fight is the question of rights for same-sex… Read more »
‘Gay’ Guyanese speaks out
In the ongoing discussion about gay rights in Guyana, arrivals and identity, please allow me space to share these thoughts with your readers. What it means to be Guyanese has been a recurrent thought over the past year. That is because this year marks an important milestone – more than half my life has been… Read more »
Brazil judicial panel clears way for gay marriage
Rio De Janeiro — A top judicial panel cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Brazil Tuesday, ruling that gay couples could not be denied marriage licenses. The National Council of Justice, which oversees the Brazilian judicial system and is headed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, said government offices that issue marriage… Read more »
50,000 Chileans march in the streets for gay rights
Thousands of people took to the streets of Chile’s capital Santiago over the weekend to campaign for same-sex civil unions and gender identity laws Tens of thousands of Chileans marched over the weekend in support of LGBT rights. The demonstration intended to raise awareness of President Piñera’s proposed bill that would allow same-sex couples to… Read more »
Guyana: The Children are Our Future
Joel Simpson is a Guyanese Chevening scholar currently pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights Law at the University of Nottingham, and Co-Chair of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD). Around the world, governments, civil society groups and international organisations will once again commemorate May 17 as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia… Read more »
Brazil Allows In Vitro For Gay Couples
Brasilia, Brazil – Brazil is guaranteeing homosexual couples’ right to access assisted fertilization. The wording of the an earlier decree governing who has the right to use such techniques was vague, and some courts here had blocked gay couples from using in-vitro fertilization and other assisted fertilization methods in the past. The new decree stipulates… Read more »
Two more Brazil states pass gay marriage
Paraíba and Santa Catarina have become the 13th and 14th states to legalize equal marriage, meaning 60% of Brazilians can get married without going through the two-step process Santa Catarina and Paraíba have become the 13th and 14th states to approve the right to marry to same-sex couples. As Freedom to Marry notes, this means… Read more »
Brazil priest sacked over pro gay message
Brazilian Father Roberto Francisco Daniel was excommunicated from the Catholic Church who accused him of sin and hersey after he posted a pro-gay YouTube message A Catholic priest in São Paulo state, Brazil was excommunicated after resigning from his duties to protest against the church’s anti-gay stance. ‘Father Roberto Francisco Daniel can no longer celebrate… Read more »
Prevalence of HIV, STIs, and Risk Behaviors in a Cross-Sectional Community- and Clinic-Based Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Lima, Peru.
Abstract Background: Further research is necessary to understand the factors contributing to the high prevalence of HIV/STIs among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru. We compared HIV/STI prevalence and risk factors between two non-probability samples of MSM, one passively enrolled from an STI clinic and the other actively enrolled from community venues… Read more »
Armed Conflict, Homonegativity And Forced Internal Displacement: Implications For HIV Among Colombian Gay, Bisexual And Transgendered Individuals.
Abstract Colombia has endured six decades of civil unrest, population displacement and violence. We examined the relationships between contextual conditions, displacement and HIV among gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in Bogotá, Colombia. A total of 19 key informants provided information about internal displacement of sexual minorities. Life-history interviews were conducted with 42 participants aged 18… Read more »
Uruguay Congress approves gay marriage bill
Congress in Uruguay has voted overwhelmingly to legalise gay marriage, becoming the second country in Latin America to do so, after Argentina. The bill was approved by more than two-thirds of the lower chamber, despite opposition from the Catholic Church. The proposal has already been backed by the upper house. It is expected to be… Read more »
LGBT-inclusive Pentecostal churches growing in Brazil
Communities offer rare combination of spiritual orthodoxy, social inclusivity and local culture — but not without critics. Rio De Janeiro — Last fall, the Rev. Marcio Retamero was invited to testify before members of the Brazilian congress, where he talked about human rights generally and the rights of sexual minorities in particular. His subsequent run-in… 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 »
Colombia Senate Shuts Down Debate On Gay Marriage After Altercation
Debate on a gay marriage bill in the Colombia Senate has been tabled after supporters were assaulted on Thursday. Colombia Senate President Roy Barreras on Friday postponed next week’s debate over the incident. “I have decided to suspend the discussion of this debate until we meet with the leaders of this community LGBTI and define… Read more »
Uruguay: Equal marriage bill passes Senate and is ‘nearly certain’ to become law
The Uruguayan Senate today passed a bill which would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, and which is expected to be approved and signed into law. The bill to legalise same-sex marriage passed the Senate 23 votes to 8, and equal rights groups have said that it is “nearly certain” that Uruguay will become… Read more »
Gay couple to force Paraguay to accept marriage equality
Simon Cazal and Sergio López, a gay couple in Paraguay is mounting a legal challenge to force the country to recognize theirs and others’ gay marriage A Paraguayan gay couple demands the right to register their marriage in their country. Thirty-year old Simon Cazal and 20-year-old Sergio López were married last year in Argentina, the… Read more »
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