The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) welcomes the progress of five countries in the Americas in the protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex and other communities (LGBTI+).
According to the international organization, in recent months there have been important events in Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Canada, and Costa Rica that are aimed at expanding the rights of this population. The highlighted case of Costa Rica, they indicated, was the public apology of the president, Carlos Alvarado, for the arbitrary persecutions and detentions registered in the past.
The State of Costa Rica has sent a note apologizing for the promotion and execution of arbitrary persecutions and arrests in the past towards LGBTI persons, after acknowledging that until 1969 same-sex relationships were a criminal offense in the country,”
indicates the publication of the IACHR.
On July 1st, during the March of Diversity, President Alvarado sent a message in favor of the struggle of this population, in which he added that apology.
On behalf of the government of the Republic I ask your forgiveness and I renew my commitment to fight so that this shameful chapter of our history will not be repeated,”
said Alvarado wrote in an article called Stonewall Inn: Pride, love, and equality, published by the Presidency.
The IACHR also held that in Ecuador two mother were able to use both their records to register their daughter, while in Chile the name and sex change in the civil registry of a trans woman was recognized without the requirement of surgical intervention.
The Argentine justice system was also recognized for condemning a man for the death of trans activist Diana Sacayán. The aggressor was accused of transfemicide aggravated by hatred of the victim’s gender identity.
Finally, the Commission celebrated that Canada has reserved 85 million US dollars for the reparation of the victims of the persecutions and purges directed against the LGBTI community.
The IACHR took advantage of the congratulatory space to urge states to promote laws and public policies that guarantee the human rights of LGBTI people. The call was made days before the Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica reveals its decision on the action of unconstitutionality against the articles of the Family Code and the Law of the Young Person that prevent gay marriage in the country.