Category: AA Political Rights

LGBTQ+ people and activists in Latin America have reason to feel gloomy these days.  We are living in the era of anti-pluralist populism, which often comes with streaks of homo- and trans-phobia. 

Cuba’s held a fascination for me ever since I was in high school in Puerto Rico. I explored the food, music and art of the neighboring island, quite abundant in my homeland, but always knew that different perspectives and adventures could only be experienced in Cuba itself.

My book Out in the Periphery heralded Latin America’s emergence as the “undisputed champion of gay rights in the Global South,” a momentous happening considering the region’s historic reputation as a bastion of Catholicism and machismo.

Nearly a decade ago, I attended a regional academic conference in Medellín, Colombia, to present on an eight-country study I was coordinating, which asked: do Left governments help to achieve women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s rights?

Despite pledging to end Title 42, the Trump-era law barring migrants from seeking asylum in the United States, the Biden administration recently enacted its own asylum ban through the “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule.

Panama, where I live and direct an organization for gay rights, stands out in the Americas for its lack of respect for queer people.