homophobia
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CHILE: ‘Anti-rights groups attacked the Pride march to try to undermine its peaceful character’
CIVICUS discusses the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Chile with Ramón Gómez, human rights officer of the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MOVILH). Founded in 1991, MOVILH is a civil society organisation that defends the rights of LGBTQI+ people.In June 2024, a group of hooded men attacked the Pride march in the capital, Santiago de Chile. The attackers tried to break through the security fence protecting the marchers and attacked volunteers who tried to stop them. They beat activists and participants, threw rocks and paint at floats and damaged a truck. The attack came amid a climate of growing homophobia, including calls for a boycott of the event.
What advances and setbacks have there been for LGBTQI+ rights in Chile?
From 1991 until 2022, when the law on equal marriage was passed, Chile experienced accelerated change in favour of LGBTQI+ rights. This was reflected in the repeal of discriminatory regulations, the adoption of 18 protective laws and the introduction of anti-discrimination public policies in education, health and labour, as well as a positive cultural shift.
However, since 2022, both people and institutions that publicly supported LGBTQI+ rights have started being silenced, while opponents have reorganised. Hate speech has overtaken friendly speech, particularly on social media. This is partly due to the misconception that passing an equal marriage law will solve everything, and partly due to a retreat in democratic values that has brought anti-rights exponents into public office.
The consequences are alarming. Our annual report shows that 2023 was the worst year for the promotion of LGBTQI+ rights. Discrimination cases increased by almost 53 per cent, up to 1,597, the highest number recorded, while hate speech increased by 123 per cent.
This situation has been exacerbated by an unprecedented offensive by far-right groups that have gained power, particularly in the National Congress. Therefore, one of the main priorities for the LGBTQI+ movement is to campaign against hate speech and protect the rights that have been won.
How serious were the incidents at the Pride march?
At the last Pride march, a small group of no more than 10 hooded people carried out an attack with hate messages directed at marchers and activists. This attack, typical of anti-rights groups, was an unsuccessful attempt to undermine the peaceful nature that has historically characterised these marches, with the aim of portraying them as conflictual or dangerous to majority interests.
Although the government did not react specifically to this case, the Metropolitan Presidential Delegation played a key role in ensuring the smooth progress of the march, helping to maintain its peaceful character and protecting participants along the route. This intervention was crucial in preventing the incident escalating and preserving the inclusive and festive spirit of the march.
What are the priorities for LGBTQI+ rights, and how are organisations working to achieve them?
In addition to campaigning against hate speech, Chile needs a reform of the anti-discrimination law to provide effective protection and the approval of a comprehensive sex education law with a human rights perspective to strengthen cultural change in schools, educate young people about diversity and protect the rights of LGBTQI+ children and young people.
There are around 50 LGBTQI+ groups in Chile, spread throughout the country. Specialisation is a new way of working: the collectives that have emerged in the past decade focus exclusively on issues such as children and adolescents, education or health, and have a limited geographical scope of action, unlike the older movements that worked at a national level and tried to cover all areas. Regardless of the issues they address, collectives carry out communication campaigns and legislative and public policy advocacy, and form coalitions to leverage their expertise, present common demands – such as the reform of the anti-discrimination law – and confront the anti-rights offensive.
In addition, these groups do research on the reality of LGBTQI+ people in Chile, compile statistics on cases of discrimination and violence, provide legal and psychological counselling to victims and give talks and training workshops on sexual and gender diversity to public and private sector bodies.
Through this combination of expertise and collaboration, LGBTQI+ groups are able to address violence and discrimination more effectively and continue to advance rights.
How are local groups connected to the global movement and what international support do they need?
LGBTQI+ organisations in Chile are part of various international networks. MOVILH, for example, has worked with international organisations such as ILGA and is part of several Latin American and Ibero-American networks where organisations exchange experiences and join forces. In addition, LGBTQI+ collectives collaborate bilaterally with similar groups in other countries, sharing experiences and providing mutual support.
Globally, LGBTQI+ collectives need funding, as they are one of the vulnerable parts of society that globally receive the least resources. In the case of Chile, this need is constant, as the fact we are considered an upper-middle income country generally prevents groups receiving external funding. This has a negative impact on the struggle for equality, as the country lacks targeted state funding to address LGBTQI+ people’s needs.
Civic space in Chile is rated ‘narrowed’ by theCIVICUS Monitor.
Get in touch with MOVILH through itswebsite or itsFacebook andInstagram pages, and follow@Movilh on Twitter.
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GREECE: ‘We fought until same-sex marriage stopped being impossible and became a necessary change’
CIVICUS speaks about Greece’s recent legalisation of same-sex marriage with Giorgos Keratsas, Communications Officer of Positive Voice-Greek Association of People Living with HIV.Founded in 2009, Positive Voice is a civil society organisation focused on tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS, defending the rights of HIV-positive people and more broadly advocating for LGBTQI+ rights in Greece.
What was civil society’s role in achieving the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Greece?
Greek LGBTQI+ groups have advocated for marriage equality and the legal recognition of all families for many years. In 2015, civil partnership arrangements were made available to same-sex couples. This marked a historic victory for LGBTQI+ and human rights in Greece but left a large part of the LGBTQI+ community unsatisfied, because there were several important issues the law didn’t cover, including adoption rights. As a result, LGBTQI+ activism has continued to demand true equality in all laws and regulations concerning interpersonal relations.
Our main argument concerns the discriminatory character of laws that exclude LGBTQI+ people, same-sex couples and diverse families from access to the rights that are afforded to cisgender straight people and heterosexual families. The fact that citizens don’t have the same rights and obligations is proof that we are not truly equal, and a state cannot be considered fully democratic when it has first-class and second-class citizens.
LGBTQI+ organisations have therefore urged legal change, pointing to the example of so many European countries that have recognised marriage equality. The road hasn’t been easy. It involved a lot of struggle, disappointments and persistence. We fought for many years until the change we demanded – initially viewed as impossible, and therefore ignored – was eventually deemed necessary. The recent passage of this law was a civil society victory that proves, once again, that when we take action together, change can happen.
How has Positive Voice contributed to the campaign?
Positive Voice was consistently dedicated for years to the sometimes frustrating work of increasing the visibility of LGBTQI+ people and educating the public on LGBTQI+ rights when the state wasn’t doing anything about it. On the basis of the recognition of the strong association of HIV with social vulnerability, we have focused on the social rather than purely medical side of things.
For over a decade, Positive Voice has been a staunch advocate of LGBTQI+ rights. We have continuously raised the urgent need for equality with government officials. We have been active participants of Pride festivals, consistently supported the demands of LGBTQI+ people, co-signed advocacy letters and statements, endorsed campaigns such as ‘Say Yes’ and hosted impactful exhibitions. A recent one was ‘Where Love is Illegal – Exhibition in a Box’, which shares real stories of LGBTQI+ people in countries where they are not allowed to be themselves or love freely.
We can proudly say that Positive Voice has been one of the strongest advocates for social change in Greece. The building that accommodates Athens Checkpoint, a sexual health and prevention centre that offers free rapid HIV and hepatitis B and C testing and is our project that’s made the biggest impact, is one of the very few in Athens flying the rainbow flag. The flag has stayed despite the fact that in 2019 the building suffered an arson attack motivated by homophobia and transphobia.
Have you encountered backlash?
Partly thanks to consistent civil society campaigning, in recent years public attitudes towards LGBTQI+ people have started to shift. However, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia remain very strong, and hate speech and violence against LGBTQI+ people, and transgender people in particular, are now on the rise, in a very alarming trend that unfortunately is not limited to Greece. Our recent legal victory is obviously a very positive step in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do until we are genuinely equal and fairly treated.
The far-right parties that have significantly grown in recent elections, as well as church representatives, have strongly opposed same-sex marriage. They contend that it infringes upon and destroys the concept of marriage and traditional family values and state that family is by definition the result of a union between a man and a woman. They also argue that the right to marriage should not be regarded as a human right, on the basis of which they claim that the LGBTQI+ community is not being deprived of any fundamental rights. Most importantly, they argue that children raised by same-sex parents will not have a healthy psychosocial development. From their perspective, it is children’s rights that would be violated.
Concerningly, in the months prior to the law being passed, LGBTQI+ people were exposed to incredible amounts of abusive public discourse, particularly on TV. In show after show, for weeks politicians, journalists, artists, influencers and others were asked whether they agreed with marriage equality, as if human rights were to be subjected to the verdict of public opinion. Hundreds of particularly abusive and discriminatory statements were given airspace and therefore heard and absorbed by millions of people. It is hard to even imagine the negative impact this rhetoric has possibly had on young queer kids across the country.
How do you connect with the regional and global LGBTQI+ movements?
We constantly follow their work, participate in events, undertake joint action and take advantage of just about any networking opportunity with other LGBTQI+ organisations. It is a fact that numerous European – and also several non-European – countries are more advanced in claiming respect for LGBTQI+ rights than we are, in terms of legislation and everyday practices and social attitudes. They set an example for the rest of us.
LGBTQI+ organisations worldwide are doing amazing work and they truly inspire us. And when any of us experiences blatant human rights violations, we all stand up for each other regardless of geography. What unites us is much more powerful than anything that could set us apart.
Civic space in Greece is rated ‘obstructed’ by theCIVICUS Monitor.
Get in touch with Positive Voice through itswebsite orFacebook page, and follow it onTwitter andInstagram.
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IRAN: ‘Women and queer people are at the forefront of the struggle against religious despotism’
CIVICUS speaks with Asal Abasian about their experiences as a queer and feminist activist in Iran and in exile.
Asal is an Iranian journalist and queer feminist activist. After receiving threats, they fled Iran in 2021. They first stayed in Turkey, where they freelanced with various foreign-based Persian language media outlets and Turkish media. They’re currently based in Paris, France. In Iran, same-sex relations are illegal and LGBTQI+ people can face the death penalty.
What was your life like in Iran and why did you leave?
My experience in Iran was challenging, uncomfortable and at times traumatic. However, my work as a cultural journalist focused on creativity, opening up new spaces that could escape the overt repression of traditional religious anti-queer social norms, showcasing diversity and expressions of transgression.
Navigating this was challenging because the editorial world was a closed, misogynistic, male-dominated work environment, and because the state constantly monitored our actions. Despite these obstacles, the medium of culture, which I mainly covered, allowed for a certain degree of freedom.
On a personal level, I embodied this challenge by pushing against the norms and visibly wearing my queer identity even in uncomfortable situations. Living in Iran as a queer person is difficult. If a same-sex relationship is exposed, it is punishable by death. Same-sex marriage is a distant dream. There’s a long way to go for the realisation of freedom for the queer community in Iran. Even if a queer person has a progressive and supportive family, the laws are against them and society is strongly queerphobic.
Have you found safety in exile?
Unfortunately, misogyny and homophobia exist everywhere. However, at least in a western country I have no fear of being arrested and imprisoned for my journalism or queer identity.
But discrimination is a universal problem. In France, of course, homophobia is not as intense as in Iran and the Middle East because of protective laws, but it still exists. There are reactionary and dogmatic people everywhere, and I believe this oppression, with varying degrees of intensity, is universal.
Living as an immigrant in the west, you can experience the intersection of oppression. Sometimes the treatment of immigrants, especially queer immigrants, is filled with violence and devoid of empathy and kindness. It seems the system is set up in such a way that immigrants are constantly discouraged from their journey and pushed back.
Has the situation in Iran changed since you left?
Sadly, the situation has not improved. But after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement triggered by the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini by the morality police in September 2022, women and the queer community have found more courage to fight against patriarchy and religious despotism.
Women and queer people are at the forefront of this struggle. Change hasn’t come from the regime, but from people’s resistance against its oppression and tyranny. The fact that women are now at the forefront of civil struggles in Iran is very encouraging because no oppressive force can deter or push them back from their goal of freedom.
However, the situation could be improved by spreading the ideas of inclusivity, equality and dignity through public education and cultural development. Much education takes place in schools, and much is also the responsibility of the media and the free flow of information. This is something we aspire to realise in countries like Afghanistan and Iran.
What does Pride Month mean to you? Do you see a future where it could happen in Iran?
Pride Month reminds me of the long and arduous journey of the queer movement up to this day. The fight against discrimination and oppression is a legacy we, the queer community, are proud of.
As a member of the queer community in Iran, I hope for a day when Pride marches take place in the cities of Iran, and queer people can express their identities with pride, freely and without fear.
But we are still a long way from that day. The problem is that the Islamic regime represents a segment of Iranian society. Part of society is very conservative and reactionary, making the possibility of change towards freedom and a safe space for queer people almost impossible. However, we remain hopeful and continue to fight for that day to come.
Civic space in Iran is rated ‘closed’ by theCIVICUS Monitor.
