CITY OF MEXICOSimilar to other cities around the continent, the streets of Mexico City hosted the Parade of the Arco Ris to commemorate the International Day of the LGBT+ Community, demand equality and respect, and stop hate crimes against the community.
with the motto “Diversity without borders.” Human rights activists and organizations called for justice, resistance, and unity organized a march in the capital.
In Mexico, one of the countries in the region with the worst rates of violence against the LGBTQ+ community, there are unrestricted rights for LGBTQ+ people and a way to protest against the attacks and hate crimes that are practiced there.
In 2024, at least 80 murders of members of the community were reported in Mexico, according to a study conducted by local civil society organizations Letra S and the Sin Violencia LGBTQ+ observatory. Of these, 21% were reported previously (66 cases). Transgender women accounted for a majority of the murders.
The situation at the OEA’s Interamerican Commission on Human Rights is concerning, as it requires the Mexican government to look into any human rights violations against LGBTQ+ people, including violent acts.
The background of violence is found in the significant advancements in civil rights that have been made in recent years.Beginning in 2022, equal marriage is recognized in all 32 Mexican states, ensuring that everyone in the community has access to public health care.
However, these steps have not been enough because LGBTQ+ people continue to commit acts of violence and discrimination. According to the 2021 Encuesta Nacional sobre Diversidad Sexual y de G nero (ENDISEG), which was developed by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, transgender women have four times less access to employment than cisg-nero women.
Activists and specialists agree that the community’s discrimination stems from the fact that machismo and heteronorma continue to be highly prevalent in Mexican society.
COLOMBIA
Despite the main march being called for on Sunday in Bogot, there have been several mobilizations throughout the week calling for equality, respect, and freedom.
The increase in the number of LGBTIQ+ members in the country raises concerns from the Procuradur, which reports that there are 3.769 threats in the last few years and 46 murders by 2025.
The case of Sara Millerey, a trans woman of 32 years old who was cruelly tortured and left in a riachuelo, was brought to light in April. This success served as a symbol to encourage the legislative branch to adopt a transgender integrity law.
However, a recent report by the United Nations warned about the discrimination and exclusion that still exist against this Colombian community.
PARAGUAY
Despite the rain, hundreds of people marched through the streets of the Asunci Center with signs like “my identity deserves legal protection” or “el orgullo tambi es cuidar tu salud mental.”
Eduardo Sald Var, of the Pride Paraguay collective, was interviewed by The Associated Press about the need for workplaces and health programs that integrate transgender people and recognize their equality before the law in all respects, including marriage, adoption, and identity recognition.
URUGUAY
In Uruguay, the canciller has reached an agreement with Spain, Colombia, Australia, Brazil, Barbados, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Eslovenia, Islandia, Ireland, Norway, Pa Se Bajos, and Portugal that aims to outlaw the criminalization of same-sex relationships worldwide and force the other countries to comply.
VENEZUELA
Thousands of people gathered in a central square in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, which is regarded as one of the countries in the region where the defense of the community’s rights is most deafening. A legal project pertaining to equal marriage remains in place since it affects each individual differently.
Una hotelera de 30 an os que se suma miles de personas en la manifestacin, se quej in declaraciones a la AP ngela Moreno. In Venezuela, there is no recognition of any community rights or entitlements.
According to Ricardo Zacar, who was thirty years old, acudi para alzar nuestra voz, meaning that we deserve respect.
Love is unconditional and genderless; it manifests itself via dances and movies.
With contributions from The Associated Press’s Latin American correspondents.
