LGBTQ people in Guatemala

Last updated

Today, LGBTQ individuals are victimized and very little has been done to resolve this issue in Guatemala, and Latin America for that matter. Guatemalans who identify as queer are consistently ostracized for struggling to conform to a heteronormative society that Guatemala has instituted. Sexual minorities are denied essential services such as education and healthcare, [1] and the Guatemalan State has done very little to provide aid to LGBTQ individuals, insinuating that Guatemala is an anti-LGBT country. The State is portrayed as not providing enough aid to protect the well-being of the LGBT community from discriminatory rhetoric and violence.

Contents

The age of consent in Guatemala, both heterosexual and homosexual, is 18.

Guatemala's attitudes towards the LGBT community

The LGBT community in Guatemala is persecuted for the sexual orientations or gender identities that are disparate from the heteronormative society of Guatemala, and sexual minorities are generally not accepted by friends or family. Most of Latin America chooses to ostracize sexual minorities because of its strong roots to Catholicism. [2] The Catholic Church has portrayed its distaste with the LGBT community, patently against pro-LGBT legislation; religious attendance and animosity toward LGBT rights is highly correlated. [2]

There are unequivocal threats towards LGBT individuals, especially transgender women. Transgender individuals are spurned from society and their families. In fact, the State refuses to acknowledge the identities of many transgender people under Article 1 of the Civil Code of Guatemala. Article 1 allows the State to adamantly deny providing transgender individuals with documents that allow them to legally identify with the gender they identify with. [1]

Misconceptions about LGBT individuals

The State not only rejects the concept of transgender individuals as being legitimate, but the country also presumes and assigns the sex roles of men who have sex with men. These presumptions are made on stereotypes that have been manufactured by the heteronormative society and the patriarchal structures that have been instituted in Mesoamerica. Stephen Murray studied homosexual occupations in Mesoamerica by analyzing a man's employer. The study focused on whether a man's occupation, along with a man's personality, can accurately determine a man's sexual preference – a pasivo (bottom) or activo (top). [3] Murray found that a hairdresser and ballet dancer in his sample did not portray stereotypical traits of being feminine or narcissistic. These misconceptions of men who have sex with men are made because the society of Mesoamerica presume that men who work in “feminine” occupations are notably feminine or vain. [3] Furthermore, it is also presumed that because they are perceived feminine, they are regarded as being pasivo. However, the hairdresser and ballet dancer classified themselves as internacional (versatile). [3] Furthermore, men who work in stereotypically “masculine” jobs such as a truck driver or a construction worker are not necessarily activo. [3] These misconceptions of men who have sex with men are based on the traditional views on gender roles and how men who have ‘flamboyant’ jobs are feminized.

How neoliberalism "benefited" the LGBT community

Based on two studies, Briggs (2010) and Horridge (2011), the neo-liberalization that occurred in Guatemalan politics benefited gay and lesbian adopters. In Guatemala, a neo-liberalization of child welfare occurred because state provisions failed and as a result had to abandon services such as subsidized health care and staple foods. [4] In other words, because Guatemala was suffering to come up with funds to support programs that aided impoverished families with children, the children were instead placed in privatized families. The state is deemed as being desperate to conserve funds, rather than funding programs that help support impoverished families, but gay and lesbian couples planning to adopt could take advantage of the increased neo-liberalization. [4] However, because gay and lesbian couples were matched with adoptees rather than providing aid to impoverished families, the neo-liberalization did not help resolve issues such as race, class, and gender inequalities. [4]

Attacks towards the LGBT community

There have been numerous attacks against the LGBT community in Guatemala and the State has done very little to intervene with the issue. It was reported from 1996 to 2006 that at least thirty-five LGBT individuals were murdered. [1] From 2009 to just 2010 a startling number of at least thirty transgender people were murdered. [1] However, these statistics are deemed to be inaccurate because the family members of LGBT victims did very little to intervene or properly report the hate crimes made towards the sexual minorities.

Furthermore, Guatemalans, gay or heterosexual, experience physical violence from organized gangs for various motives. However, gay individuals are more likely to be targeted by groups because sexual minorities can be attacked or killed with near-impunity by the state prosecution. [2] Also, because Guatemala is a country that has been known to portray anti-gay views, it is socially acceptable for gangs to portray and act upon anti-gay discrimination and anti-gay violence. [2]

The 152-page report ‘Every Day I Live in Fear 'documents violence experienced by LGBT people in the three Northern Central American countries collectively known as the Northern Triangle, including at the hands of gangs, law enforcement officials, and their own families.

Healthcare

Providing healthcare to the LGBT community, especially homosexual and bisexual men, has always been an unwarranted issue in Guatemala. Guatemala struggles with a prevailing HIV epidemic due to the lack of services that should be provided. Nearly thirty people in Guatemala contract HIV every day and men who have sex with men have the highest incidence rate in contracting HIV (ten times). [5] Testing resources are limited to sexual minorities in Guatemala, therefore LGBT individuals are more vulnerable and disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections. [5]

Guatemala not only provides limited testing resources but also fails to provide an extensive sexual education program, a program that would also regard homosexuality and transsexuality. [1] Sexually transmitted infections, especially HIV, is a problematic issue in Guatemala because LGBT individuals are engaging in sexual activity without a rudimentary sexual education. Therefore, the proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases increases because sexual minorities are unaware of the dangers of unprotected sex and continue to perpetuate risky behavior. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ movements</span> Social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBTQ people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBTQ people and their interests, numerous LGBTQ rights organizations are active worldwide. The first organization to promote LGBTQ rights was the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, founded in 1897 in Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures</span> Variety of communities and subcultures

Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual minorities can also constitute cultural minorities were Adolf Brand, Magnus Hirschfeld, and Leontine Sagan in Germany. These pioneers were later followed by the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ community</span> Community and culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

The LGBTQ community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.

Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between people of opposite sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, LGBT culture, and LGBTQIA culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.

A sexual minority is a demographic whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. Primarily used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or non-heterosexual individuals, it can also refer to transgender, non-binary or intersex individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ stereotypes</span> Stereotypes around LGBTQ people and communities

LGBTQ stereotypes are stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions with parents, teachers, peers and mass media, or, more generally, through a lack of firsthand familiarity, resulting in an increased reliance on generalizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Questioning (sexuality and gender)</span> Process of self-exploration

The questioning of one's sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender, or all three is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, or concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons. The letter "Q" is sometimes added to the end of the acronym LGBT ; the "Q" can refer to either queer or questioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in El Salvador</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in El Salvador face considerable legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ Salvadorans. While same-sex sexual activity between all genders is legal in the country, same-sex marriage is not recognized; thus, same-sex couples—and households headed by same-sex couples—are not eligible for the same legal benefits provided to heterosexual married couples.

Various issues in medicine relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. According to the US Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), besides HIV/AIDS, issues related to LGBTQ health include breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance use disorders, alcohol use, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, conversion therapy, refusal clause legislation, and laws that are intended to "immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Mongolia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Mongolia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ people, though there have been substantial improvements since the 1990s. Homosexuality was criminalised in Mongolia in 1961 through its Criminal Code. Following the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 and the peaceful transition to a democracy, homosexuality was legalised and awareness about LGBTQ people has become more prevalent. Hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity result in additional legal penalties. Hate speech based on these two categories has been outlawed in the country since 1 July 2017. Households headed by same-sex couples are, however, not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Sierra Leone</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Sierra Leone face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Sierra Leone and carries a possible penalty of life imprisonment, although this law is seldom enforced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education and the LGBTQ community</span>

Historically speaking, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people have not been given equal treatment and rights by both governmental actions and society's general opinion. Much of the intolerance for LGBTQ individuals come from lack of education around the LGBTQ community, and contributes to the stigma that results in same-sex marriage being legal in few countries (31) and persistence of discrimination, such as in the workplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBTQ topics</span>

The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBTQ topics:

Homophobia in ethnic minority communities is any negative prejudice or form of discrimination in ethnic minority communities worldwide towards people who identify as–or are perceived as being–lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), known as homophobia. This may be expressed as antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, irrational fear, and is sometimes related to religious beliefs. A 2006 study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in the UK found that while religion can have a positive function in many LGB Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, it can also play a role in supporting homophobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African-American LGBTQ community</span> African-American population within the LGBT community

The African-American LGBT community, otherwise referred to as the Black American LGBT community, is part of the overall LGBTQ culture and overall African-American culture. The initialism LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic violence in same-sex relationships</span>

Domestic violence in same-sex relationships or intragender violence is a pattern of violence or abuse that occurs within same-sex relationships. Domestic violence is an issue that affects people of any sexuality, but there are issues that affect victims of same-sex domestic violence specifically. These issues include homophobia, internalized homophobia, HIV and AIDS stigma, STD risk and other health issues, lack of legal support, and the violence they face being considered less serious than heterosexual domestic violence. Moreover, the issue of domestic violence in same-sex relationships has not been studied as comprehensively as domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. However, there are legal changes being made to help victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships, as well as organizations that cater specifically to victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships.

Sexual minorities in Sri Lanka have been counted in recent times as consisting of as little as 0.035% of the population to as high as 19.6%. It is likely that there are around 1,100,000 according to current mapping conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ health in South Korea</span>

The health access and health vulnerabilities experienced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA) community in South Korea are influenced by the state's continuous failure to pass anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The construction and reinforcement of the South Korean national subject, "kungmin," and the basis of Confucianism and Christian churches perpetuates heteronormativity, homophobia, discrimination, and harassment towards the LGBTQI community. The minority stress model can be used to explain the consequences of daily social stressors, like prejudice and discrimination, that sexual minorities face that result in a hostile social environment. Exposure to a hostile environment can lead to health disparities within the LGBTQI community, like higher rates of depression, suicide, suicide ideation, and health risk behavior. Korean public opinion and acceptance of the LGBTQI community have improved over the past two decades, but change has been slow, considering the increased opposition from Christian activist groups. In South Korea, obstacles to LGBTQI healthcare are characterized by discrimination, a lack of medical professionals and medical facilities trained to care for LGBTQI individuals, a lack of legal protection and regulation from governmental entities, and the lack of medical care coverage to provide for the health care needs of LGBTQI individuals. The presence of Korean LGBTQI organizations is a response to the lack of access to healthcare and human rights protection in South Korea. It is also important to note that research that focuses on Korean LGBTQI health access and vulnerabilities is limited in quantity and quality as pushback from the public and government continues.

Homonormativity is the adoption of heteronormative ideals and constructs onto LGBT culture and identity. It is predicated on the assumption that the norms and values of heterosexuality should be replicated and performed among homosexual people. Those who assert this theory claim homonormativity selectively privileges cisgender homosexuality as worthy of social acceptance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Merlo, Timothy, and Supraja Murali. "Human Rights Violations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People in Guatemala: A Shadow Report." GW Law. Accessed March 3, 2017. https://www.law.gwu.edu/international-human-rights-clinic
  2. 1 2 3 4 Corrales, Javier, and Mario Pecheny, eds. The Politics of Sexuality in Latin America. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Murray, Stephen O. Latin American Male Homosexualities. pp.71-77 Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1995.
  4. 1 2 3 Haritaworn, Jin, Adi Kuntsman, and Silvia Posocco, eds. Queer Necropolitics, pp. 77-78. New York, New York: Routledge, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Rhodes, Scott D., Jorge Alonzo, Lilli Mann, Mario Downs, Mario Andrade, Cindy Wilks, Florence M. Siman, Omar Martinez, Claire Abraham, Guillermo R. Villatoro, and Laura H. Bachmann. "The Ecology of Sexual Minorities in Guatemala City." Health Promotion International 30, no. 4 (March 30, 2014): 832-42. Accessed March 3, 2017. doi : 10.1093/heapro/dau013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.