South America
Indigenous LGBT political leaders bring concerns to D.C.
On Saturday, March 16, indigenous LGBT elected officials and candidates from North and South America provided testimony at a public hearing at the Inter American Commission on Human Rights at the Organization of American States. Three leaders representing indigenous populations in Bolivia, Mexico and the United States testified at the panel “Situation of the Human… Read more »
Venezuela’s interim president Nicolás Maduro says if he were gay, he’d ‘shout it to the four winds’
‘I would have no problem loving whomever I had to love with my heart’ Since taking over for the late Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s interim president Nicolas Maduro has been plagued with allegations that he is anti-gay. The allegations surfaced again earlier this week he referred to political rival Henrique Capriles as ‘a little princess. He… Read more »
New pope ‘is a bad sign’ for equality, says Argentine LGBT rights group
Argentina’s leading LGBT rights organization ‘expresses its deep regret’ at the appointment of a new pope, a former archbishop of the City of Buenos Aires, with an anti-gay record Newly-elected Pope Francis has received a frigid welcome from Argentina’s leading LGBT rights group. In a statement released yesterday by the Argentine LGBT Federation (FALGBT), the… Read more »
Regional Dialogues on the new UN resolution on SO&GI and human rights: The Brasilia Meeting
From April 2nd to 5th, 2013 activists from more than 20 Latin American countries met in Brasilia, Brazil, to discuss the results and further steps resulting from the Resolution presented by South Africa on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Human Rights and adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2011. This meeting is part… Read more »
Pope Francis Against Gay Marriage, Gay Adoption
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a 76-year-old Argentinean, was chosen as the first Latin American pope on Wednesday. He will lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics as Pope Francis. While his selection may be historic, it may also mean more of the same when it comes to gay rights in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis is… Read more »
Ecuador: Former presidential candidate fined for saying ‘gays are immoral’
A former presidential candidate in Ecuador has been fined around £2,014 for making homophobic comments. Nelson Zavala polled just 1.23% of the vote in February’s elections in the country. He came last out of eight candidates and President Rafael Correa was re-elected for a third term with nearly 60% of the vote. A court heard… Read more »
Incidents in the Pride Parade in San Rafael
More than 150 people for sexual diversity toured the city center. A Catholic protester was arrested by police when he tried to attack some of the marchers after a verbal exchange. San Rafael lived this afternoon their first march for sexual diversity. It was organized by the Association for Southern Equality (Axis) and for several… Read more »
One gay Brazilian murdered every 26 hours in 2012
Grupo Gay da Bahia, a gay rights group in Brazil, releases startling figures for homophobic killings that took place in the Latin American country last year Once again, activists claim Brazil has the world’s highest occurrence of homophobic murders. Brazilian LGBT rights group Grupo Gay da Bahia has released a breakdown of gay-related murders for… Read more »
Brazil elects racist, anti-gay pastor to be human rights boss
Marco Feliciano, a racist, evangelical, pastor and congressman who thinks gays are ‘sick’, has been elected to head Brazil’s human rights committee Brazil’s House of Representatives has elected a renowned racist and homophobic deputy and evangelical pastor, Marco Feliciano, to chair the house Committee on Human Rights and Minorities (CDHM) today. The election should have… Read more »
Survey: 338 LGBT Brazilians murdered in 2012 a rise of 26%
Latest research out of Brazil shows once again the country continues to have the highest murder rate for LGBT people in the world. The Gay Group of Bahia has for 30 years been compiling and publishing statistics on LGBT deaths in the South American country and the latest report shows that there were 338 murders… Read more »
Ecuador’s Correa Claims Re-Election Victory
Quito – Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa claimed a re-election victory on Sunday that would allow him to strengthen state control over the OPEC nation’s economy and gives a timely boost to Latin America’s alliance of socialist leaders. Correa won 61 percent of the vote compared with 21 percent for former banker Guillermo Lasso, the strongest… Read more »
Argentina: New ID’s for 1,720 transgender individuals since 2012 law; 5,839 same-sex marriages since 2010 law
In 2010 Argentina became the first Latin American nation to adopt a nation-wide marriage equality law. This summer, Argentina continued its bid to become the most LGBT-friendly country in the world when it also passed what some call the most progressive gender identity law in the world. The law requires the public health system to… Read more »
Brazil: Court ruling means all gay couples can legally marry in the state of São Paulo
Earlier this week, a judge in the Brazilian state of São Paulo has ruled that gay couples in civil unions will no longer have to apply to the courts to have their relationships ‘upgraded’ to marriages. The judgement will effectively mean that same-sex marriage is now legal in the state. Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto said… Read more »
Mass gay ‘wedding’ held in Rio, Brazil
Almost 100 gay and lesbian couples had their unions legalized in symbolic ceremony Almost 100 gay and lesbian couples took part in a mass ‘wedding’ in Rio, Brazil, yesterday (9 December). The 92 same-sex couples joined the ceremony which legalized their unions just short of marriage status, reported AFP. However, the service at the Rio… Read more »
Gay Uruguay: Congress Starts Voting on Equal Marriage Law
The country’s parliament began voting this week on 29 articles that will amend the century-old civil code to legalize same-sex marriage. After postponing vote hearings twice in the past year, Uruguay’s congress will decide on a same-sex marriage bill introduced by one of the country’s LGBT rights group, Colectivo Ovejas Negras, or Black Sheep Collective.… Read more »
Rio gay pride calls for Brazil homophobia ban
Tens of thousands pour on to Copacabana beach for carnvival themed LGBT pride An estimated one million people hit Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana beach yesterday (18 November) for the Brazilian city’s annual gay pride celebrations. Fifteen floats blaring music lined Avenida Atlantica, while many revellers came dressed in colorful carnival costumes. As well holding… Read more »
One Million Revelers Celebrate Brazil Gay Pride
An estimated one million people turned out to celebrate Brazil Gay Pride on Sunday. Floats blaring music lined Rio de Janeiro’s Avenida Atlantica across from the city’s iconic Copacabana beach, site of the 17th annual carnival-inspired party. This year’s event called for an end to homophobia in Brazilian society. Julio Moreira, president of Grupo Arco-Iris,… Read more »
Rio Gay Pride aims to tackle Brazilian ‘homophobia’
Huge crowds have been taking part in Rio de Janeiro’s Gay Pride parade. Organisers Grupo Arco-Iris (Rainbow Group) were expecting more than one million people to join the carnival-inspired event on Copacabana beach. Mothers of gay men and women opened the parade, which this year aimed to highlight the issue of homophobia in Brazilian society.… Read more »
Thousands join Chile gay pride parade
Santiago, Chile (AP) — Thousands are parading in Chile’s capital at a pride fest that has turned into the country’s largest gay rights event. Organizers say more than 50,000 people joined in the ‘‘Open Mind Fest.’’ Revelers flooded several streets of Santiago waving rainbow flags and strutting in costumes as people of all ages turned… Read more »
Jaime Parada becomes Chile’s first openly gay councilman
For the first time in the country’s history, Chilean voters elect an openly gay councilman, and in the same municipal elections re-elect a trans council member for a third term Jaime Parada has made history by becoming the first openly gay man elected to Chilean municipal government. Parada was elected as councilman to Providencia, a… Read more »
UN agencies ask Brazilian president to criminalize ‘homophobia’
The Expanded Thematic Group on HIV/AIDS in Brazil (GT/UNAIDS), in joint partnership with national and international groups, sent a letter on October 16 to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and other Brazilian authorities, requesting priority be given to efforts to criminalize “homophobia.” The letter was signed by GT/UNAIDS and its members: USAID, UNHCR, ILO, UN Women,… Read more »
Brazil Hosts First Transgender Beauty Pageant
“This contest is key for the visibility of us. We transgender woman suffer a lot from prejudice and discrimination, whether we are pretty or not, rich or poor.” That’s how one contestant describes Brazil’s first transgender beauty pageant, staged Oct. 30 in Rio de Janeiro. The event is particularly historic in the Latin American nation,… Read more »
Fifteen gay activists receive death threats in Brazil
Fifteen activists from Curitiba, state capital of Paraná, Brazil report they have been receiving constant death threats Fifteen activists from Curitiba, Brazil have revealed today that they have been receiving constant death threats since the last week of September. All the threats are of a homophobic nature and characteristic of hate crimes expressing a high… Read more »
How Argentina is bringing the fight for gay marriage to you
Gay Star News speaks to Esteban Paulón, president of the Argentine LGBT Federation (FALGBT), about how the LGBT rights group is pushing for marriage equality, gay parents’ rights and transgender rights beyond its borders Is same-sex marriage not yet legal in your country? Consider coming to Argentina, where since May 2012, gay couples from abroad… Read more »
In Tucuman, Argentina, Gender Identity Is Now Respected
Resolution Nr 60/14 gives trans persons the right to be treated according to their appearance Celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, trans activists and INADI (National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism) of Argentina presented on May 17th the Administrative Resolution Nr. 60/14 of the Secretary of Justice of Tucuman province about physical… Read more »
Demonstrators Demand Gay Marriage In Paraguay
A demonstration in Asuncion, Paraguay on Saturday demanded that lawmakers approve a gay marriage law. Over 500 activists participated in the 9th annual evening event, marching from the steps of Antequera to the Pantheon of Heroes, Asuncion’s memorial to the country’s fallen soldiers. Demonstrators carried signs with slogans such as “Homosexuality is not a disease,… Read more »
Sexual Diversity March Breaks Attendance Record In Chile
Up to an estimated 20,000 people marched in a parade demanding equal rights for LGBT people held Saturday in Chile’s capital of Santiago, breaking an attendance record for the annual event. The 14th iteration of Chile’s Marcha por la Diversidad Sexual (Sexual Diversity March) stepped off from Plaza Italia, the huge roundabout located in the… Read more »
Brazil state of São Paulo celebrated gay partnership day
The Brazilian state of São Paulo organized a collective ‘gay partnership day’ in which 46 couples collectively registered their relationship as a civil union The Brazilian state of São Paulo organized a collective ‘gay partnership day’ in which 46 couples had their relationship registered as a civil union, followed by a religious blessing and an… Read more »
Documentary about Argentina’s gay parents and their families begins national tour
Familias Por Igual (The Same Families) will begin a national tour October 1, showcasing footage of five same-sex parents and their families two years after gay marriage was legalized in Argentina A documentary on the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina will be shown nationwide starting tomorrow (October 1). Familias Por Igual follows the stories… Read more »
Caribbean: Gay Rights Slowly Coming Out of the Closet
Georgetown, Guyana,(IPS) – Over the past six months, governments in two influential Caribbean trade bloc member states – Jamaica and Guyana – have floated political test balloons on the question of whether colonial-era laws criminalising homosexuality should be amended in keeping with trends in most Western states. The climate for gay people in the two… Read more »
Lawsuit Seeking Gay Marriage Filed Against Chile
Chile’s leading gay rights advocate has filed a lawsuit seeking marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples in Chile. The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh) presented what it describes as the first-of-its-kind case to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on Monday, The Santiago Times reported. The group claims that denying gay people… Read more »
Bolivian Senator Introduces Gay Marriage Bill
Bolivia Senator Hilda Saavedra earlier this week introduced a bill which would legalize civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples in the South American country. Saavedra, a member of the ruling Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) Party, said her proposal aims to aid victims of “contempt, abuse and exclusion even by the family.” She said her… Read more »
Popular perceptions of circumcision among Colombian men who have sex with men.
Abstract Male circumcision has received increased attention for its potential to reduce sexual transmission of HIV. Research on the acceptability of circumcision as a means of HIV prevention among men who have sex with men is limited. Men who have sex with men in Bogotá, Colombia, either participated in a focus group in which they… Read more »
Chilean Paradoxes: LGBT rights in Latin America
Para leer este artículo en español, mira: Paradojas Chilenas: Derechos LGBT en América Latina Over the past few years, there have been important milestones advancing LGBT human rights in Latin America. Recognition of civil unions in Brazil and Uruguay, same-sex marriage in Mexico City and Argentina, laws protecting gender identity in Chile and Bolivia, and… Read more »
Argentina Officially Recognizes Gay Couple’s Son
Argentina has for the first time officially recognized a gay couple as the parents of a child. Alejandro Grinblat and Carlos Gustavo Dermgerd, who have been together 13 years, are reported as being the first gay couple in Latin America to be legally recognized as the fathers of a baby. The couple’s son, Tobias, was… Read more »
More homophobic attacks in Chile despite new hate crime law
A 16 year old girl has been stabbed by her girlfriend’s relatives and a gay man has had his teeth knocked out in homophobic attacks only days after Chile signed new hate crimes legislation into law A 16 year old lesbian has been stabbed in the Chilean city of Santa Juana by two of her… Read more »
Argentina Celebrates Two Years Of Gay Marriage
A law giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in Argentina celebrates its second anniversary this week. Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage after President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner signed the law on July 21, 2010. Lawmakers approved the law on July 15 over the strong objections of… Read more »
Chile’s president signs hate crime legislation into law
Chile’s president Sebastian Pinera signed anti-discrimination legislation into law today. The move comes after the Neo-Nazi killing of a gay man, Daniel Zamudio, in March. Mr Zamudio’s killing shocked Chile and sparked a national debate on hate crime. He suffered severe head injuries and his body was found in a city park with cigarette burns… Read more »
End Sexual-Orientation and Gender-Identity Discrimination in Guyana
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (“CEDAW Committee”), meeting this month at United Nations headquarters in New York City, will review the human-rights record of several countries that are signatory parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). In recent years the CEDAW Committee has… Read more »
Comment: Reflections on Lima Pride
I have always believed people have a right to be whoever/whatever they want to be as long as they’re not hurting anyone. I have nothing against people that have different beliefs, opinions, mentalities, etc. as long as they also respect others. But sometiemes people want to impose their own believes in others and they also… Read more »
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