López Obrador presents a plan to eradicate homophobia, from the country

In the framework of the International Day against Homophobia, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced this morning, from the National Palace, the signing of a decree to celebrate the National Day of the Struggle against Homophobia, Lesbofobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. “Without limitations, we are in favor of freedoms and we are against discrimination,” said the Head of State.

In the framework of the International Day Against Homophobia , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced this morning, from the National Palace, the signing of a decree to celebrate the National Day of Fight against homophobia, lesbophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

“Without limitations, we are in favor of freedoms and we are against discrimination,” said the Head of State.

Asked if he would present an initiative for equal marriage to be legal at the federal level, the President denied that it was necessary, therefore, he commented, there is already legislation to protect the Rights of the people.

“It is not a matter of tolerance, it is a matter of respect for freedoms,” said the Chief Executive.

The Head of Government of the CdMx was present at the conference this Friday. Photo: Government of the Republic

The Chief Executive was accompanied by the Director of the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred), Alexandra Haas; the director of the Clinica Condesa, Andrea González; the activist Gloria Virginia Davenport Fentanes; Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health; the activist Genero Lozano; among others personality.

On this subject, yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) instructed the consular offices of Mexico to celebrate a marriage between two Mexican citizens, without distinction of sex.

The measure was dictated by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon in the framework of the celebration of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Bisphobia, which will take place on May 17.

Through a statement, the SRE explained that it will be the head of the Undersecretariat for North America,  Jesús Seade Kuri , in charge of making the necessary adjustments to the consular procedures to comply with that effect.

COLLECTIVE LGBTTTIQ IN THE WORLD

The LGBTTQQ collective  advances in small steps in the struggle for their rights, although murders, prison, assaults and humiliation remain, for many of them, part of their day to day in different areas of the world.

The legalization today of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, coinciding with the celebration of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, is one of those important advances: it is the first country in Asia to approve it.

Alexandra Haas, Director of Conapred. Photo: Government of the Republic

However, the usual reality for Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, and Intersex ( LGBTTTIQ ) is another, particularly in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, where they are socially discriminated.

In Brazil, the country in the world where more crimes are committed against the collective, one of its members dies violently every 20 hours, while in more than twenty African countries there are laws that punish even with the death the different sexual orientation.

WHAT HAPPENS IN AMERICA?

 In the last two years, there have been 765 homicides in that community in Brazil, very concerned about the rise to power of the far right Jair Bolsonaro and his open homophobic speeches.

“According to international human rights agencies, many more homosexuals are murdered than in the 13 countries of the East and Africa where there is a death penalty against LGBT people,” reads a recent report by the Gay Group of Bahia, which has compiled since 39 years statistics of violent crimes against the collective.

Murders are also common in Mexico, with 501 homicides counted since 2013, although that number can be multiplied by two or even three, according to organizations defending their rights, which, yes, highlight the increase in visibility of the collective in the last years.

In the United States, despite the fact that the rights of the LGBTTQQ community are increasingly recognized, with same-sex marriage legalized in 18 states, religious conservative groups have gained strength and continue to proclaim that they pose a danger for the future of the family and the “natural order” and discrimination continues to exist, especially in rural areas.

Paraguay, together with Surinam and Guyana, has the highest homophobia index in the Americas, while in Venezuela there is no law that defends LGBTI rights and with the worsening of the crisis, their situation has become invisible.

Uruguay does not have official data on aggressions, but it does have unprecedented legislation in Latin America: the Integral Law for Trans Persons of 2018, which adds to the equal marriage, legalized since 2013.

In Chile, complaints and abuses increased by 44 percent in 2018, with 698 cases, while in Colombia the situation is bittersweet because, despite some progress, mainly thanks to court rulings, these do not translate into reality.

Source: sinembargo

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