By María Sanz, from Asunción. Photos: Jess Insfrán Pérez. In Democracy Square, in downtown Asunción, representatives of LGBTQ+ organizations, such as Mansión 108, Aireana (a lesbian rights group), and Panambí (a trans rights group), gathered. Also present were groups of high school and university students, working children and teenagers, and representatives of feminist and human rights organizations. Their common goal: to continue promoting gender equality and non-discrimination, despite the obstacles. The most recent hurdle in the fight for equality is a resolution from the Paraguayan Ministry of Education that prohibits gender-related materials in primary and secondary schools. It was approved in early October, after a massive demonstration by fundamentalist groups who declared themselves “in favor of the traditional family” and against “gender ideology.” Following that demonstration, the Minister of Education himself, Enrique Riera, offered to burn the gender-related educational materials in public squares. The Gender Equality Yes coalition emerged in response to the Ministry of Education's measure. They warned that prohibiting this content will prevent students from accessing comprehensive sexuality education. This carries risks such as an increase in sexually transmitted infections, a rise in teenage pregnancies, and a lack of protection against sexual abuse. Furthermore, the group cautioned that it leaves the door open for a potential surge in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Those of us who don’t fit the stereotypes suffer discrimination.”

Alexander Trinidad, a 17-year-old student, told Presentes: “Discrimination especially affects those of us who don't conform to the stereotypes that society tries to impose on us.” Trinidad is the son of a sex worker and is part of the Network Against All Forms of DiscriminationA group of organizations is promoting a law to punish acts of discrimination. Paraguay is one of the few countries in the region that does not have this type of legislation. “Those of us who don’t fit the stereotypes suffer bullying“Discrimination and harassment in schools, in colleges, and in my case, I'm sure it will happen when I enter university. That's why we are often forced to drop out (of our studies), because we can't withstand the pressure of being different, even though we have equal rights,” she declared. Trinidad recounted that she suffered violence and harassment at school because of her sexual orientation. “I told the teachers I trusted, but we couldn't do anything, because there are no public policies against that type of harassment. And now, even less so, because they don't want us to talk about gender perspective. We can't talk about ourselves as LGBTQ+ people. Many classmates leave school out of fear, because if you express yourself freely, as you are, you will be attacked, and no one will do anything. We suffered for so long, and now they want to roll back our rights, they want to make us invisible,” she explained.

“We were already experiencing discrimination in the faculties”

Vanessa Servín, a medical student at the Catholic University of Asunción (UCA), described the Ministry of Education's resolution as a "tremendous setback." Servín, 21, identifies as bisexual and is a member of the Platform of Feminist University Women (PUF). “Even before the resolution, LGBTQ+ people were already suffering discrimination. At the university level, that discrimination is still very much present,” he told Presentes. He believes it is important “to teach children and teenagers to respect all people and to recognize their differences.” He thinks that this movement “gives visibility to a large group of people who disagree with the Ministry's measure and who will not give in” to fundamentalist pressure.

“Pro-family advocates don’t understand that families are diverse.”

For Myriam Gallar, president of the organization Unidos por el Arco Iris (United for the Rainbow), the self-proclaimed 'pro-life' and 'pro-family' protesters “don't understand that families are diverse, and that there isn't just one type of family.” The organization she leads promotes “family harmony” and provides guidance to “parents and family members when they have questions, so they can help, accept, and understand what their LGBTQ+ children are going through.” “We defend the rights of our children. The idea of ​​a comprehensive education is to teach teenagers that heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and trans people exist, and to teach them to respect them. It's about not allowing parents to give their children a sexist education at home, one that teaches discrimination based on sexual orientation,” she told Presentes. She stated that in Paraguay there are “different types of families, such as grandmothers raising grandchildren, or uncles raising nephews,” and that the stance of religious fundamentalists “is very discriminatory, and it's a hate speech that does a lot of harm, and there are already victims of murder.” Just ten days after the ban on gender education in schools, Romina, a 28-year-old trans woman, was murdered in Greater Asunción. Before her, two other trans women had been attacked with a knife in the same area. The man who confessed to Romina's murder stated that he committed the crime out of hatred toward trans people.

“Hate kills people like me, who are biological women.”

Samantha Carrinton, a trans woman and activist with the organization Panambí, remembered Romina as one of her comrades and again condemned the crime. “The person who killed her was a man with no criminal record, who was brainwashed until he committed the crime. That's why it's important not to incite hatred, because hatred kills, both people like me and cisgender women,” she told Presentes. Carrinton believes it is important to provide information about gender and sexuality to children and adolescents so that they “learn to take care of their bodies, value themselves, and report sexual abuse.” She affirms that she did not suffer harassment at school because she embraced her gender identity as an adult. “At school, I repressed myself until I was an adult and could embrace my personal development. No one could teach me anything then, except the Church, which told me that it was a sin, and that was all I had to learn,” she recalled.