Tucumán Diverso, the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Trans (FALGBT), ADN , and Club de Osos assert that this is not an isolated incident. The organization Abogados del Norte por los Derechos Humanos (ANDHES) told Presentes that they will file a complaint today, endorsed by more than 30 organizations, with the Ministry of Education and INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism). They are requesting an investigation into the incident and that teachers receive training on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). They are also demanding specific support for the students in the teacher's class. "Even though it's a school affiliated with Opus Dei, it has to comply with the law," the organization stated. "We view these kinds of statements with great concern, especially when they are children who are still developing," Ramiro Granado, head of the INADI delegation in Tucumán, told Presentes. He recalled that in 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of diseases. “This is very serious. We are going backwards 27 years, and we also understand that Law No. 26,206 on Comprehensive Sex Education (ESI), which encourages provincial Ministries of Education to create programs that promote respect for sexual diversity, is not being complied with.” https://twitter.com/soullessucker/status/921131136616747013 Article 11 of the Law states that the State has the obligation to “ensure conditions of equality, respecting differences between people, without admitting discrimination based on gender or any other type .”

“It happens all the time”

The activists agree that What happened at the Pablo Apóstol school is not an isolated incident. Fabián Vera del Barco, from Tucumán Diverso, told this agency that “this happens all the time in Tucumán.” He recalled several cases.

• Three years ago, the El Salvador school in Yerba Buena was denounced for using a manual with homophobic content that strongly questioned same-sex marriage, among other issues.
• In 2015, a kiss-in was organized in repudiation of a book by Richard Cohen entitled "Gay Children, Straight Parents: Family Healing Plan".
• In 2012, a teacher at the Ingenio La Florida school was reported for discrimination for stating to her students, "We are normal, not gays."
• Last year, Pascual Viejobueno, a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tucumán (UNT), was reported to INADI for his homophobic statements during a class.

“The education system in Tucumán is a breeding ground for homophobia; it is co-opted by the sexual morality of the Catholic Church at all levels.” Vera del Barco stated.

[READ ALSO: Religion in schools in Salta: “It affects us as an LGBTI community”]

“A great effort is being made to combat homophobic bullying, and this type of stance only fuels it,” Granado added. The official explained that the process has begun to summon the parties involved to present their arguments. A ruling will then be issued to determine whether the teacher's statements were discriminatory. “We want to resolve this situation, and we believe the best way is…” train the teacher and the entire teaching staff, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and sexual diversity organizations. It is the only way to combat these conservative groups that remain in society.”  

[READ ALSO: #Argentina: first data on LGBTI climate in schools]

Students as subjects of rights

Augusto Moeykens, vice president of Action for the Rights of the Northwest (ADN), celebrated the role of the students and their use of technology to denounce discrimination. “It aligns with the deconstruction of a pupillary model towards a model that builds children as subjects of rights. It's a paradigm that is changing: children questioning things through the use of technology. Ten years ago, perhaps this wouldn't have happened. It's incredibly positive,” he said. The activist recounted that in an audio recording circulating, the children can be clearly heard pointing out the absurdity of the teacher's statement. “At one point, she says that homosexuals never truly feel good about themselves. And a girl retorts that it's because they are discriminated against.” Moykens also questioned the teacher's lack of intellectual honesty. “The school and the Directorate of Private Education of the Ministry of Education must sanction her for what she said. She not only bases her statements on religious convictions, but also erroneously appropriates scientific concepts from public health and psychology. There is a very serious lack of ethics on the part of the teacher,” he stated.

[READ ALSO: “Aguer’s decree violates the right to education”]

ADN reported that they submitted a letter to the school requesting dialogue and the opportunity to intervene through training from a comprehensive sex education (CSE) perspective, incorporating other perspectives, but their request was ignored. "They only accepted the letter," they explained. In statements to the newspaper The Gazette, The principal of Pablo Apóstol school, Susana Frías Silva de Stagnetto, stated that the teacher's remarks do not reflect the school's stance on homosexuality, despite it being a Catholic institution. The news outlet ADN criticized the principal. "In reality, she should say, 'We comply with the law because we are obligated to, and the teacher did not.' It is beyond her control. Respect for diversity does not hold a prominent place in the school's philosophy."

What did the teacher say?

“Let’s get to this: homosexuality is unnatural, it is unnatural. What does it mean that it’s unnatural? It means that it goes against the nature of the human person from every point of view: biological, psychological, spiritual, and physical. It’s an illness that can be cured…” *The students ask, "How?"* …With psychological treatment because homosexuality, first of all, is… and also listen carefully, people who are attracted to the same sex are not people who are completely well. Because if you know people (homosexuals), they are people who have had a hard time. They are people who often suffer, and why have they gotten there? Because of a lot of situations that can be family-related, they can be traumas, they can be things that have happened to them.  ]]>