Politics of LGBT rights in Argentina

Jahan Amrin

Professor Aisha Sidibe

FIQWS 10103

11th October 2018

Reflection on the Politics of LGBT Rights in Argentina

LGBT in any part of Latin America has always been looked down upon. Although, countries like Argentina tried to improve LGBT rights by legalizing homosexual activity, the LGBT community still suffered from harassment and discrimination from the public. Not only was the acceptance of same sex relationship legalized, it wasn’t until 2010, Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “signed the same sex marriage bill into law”, after it was declared unconstitutional by a judge in a 2009 case regarding a male couple trying to get married. Marcio Marci, the chief government of the Autonomous city of Buenos Aires, said that allowing this freedom is an important step because we must learn how to live in freedom without hurting the rights of others. This also meant that same sex marriage should be guaranteed equal benefits and protection as the opposite gender couple receives. Since these laws have been passed, we are too assume that the LGBT community are safe and protected by these regulations. However, that was not the case, in 2015 a transgender rights advocate Diana Sacayan, was murdered for being the director of the anti-discrimination liberation movement. Another case regarding a transgender named Marcela Estefania Chocobar was also murdered from the amount of hatred and discrimination against her sexual identity. This led to significant awareness for the President of Argentina who was Esteban Paulon at the time, pressed lawmakers to pass the anti-discrimination law to ensure further protection for the LGBT people. “Discrimination kills and we are not saying this figuratively….cases like Diana Sacayan and Marcela Chocobar demonstrates the effect discrimination has on people” (Paulon). As of 2018, only the Autonomous city of Buenos Aires and Rosario have sexual orientation and anti-discrimination law included in the civil rights, there still isn’t a national law formally passed for the objective. Discrimination is still a problem in Argentina, but there is no denying that the government has not tried to make improvements regarding this issue. Maybe in the future the whole nation will pass law ensuring the safety for the LGBT community.