By Airam Fernández, from Santiago, Chile. The Chilean LGBTI community made its presence felt with the arrival of Pope Francis in Santiago. Yesterday afternoon, the Movement for Homosexual Liberation (Movilh) called for a protest against the official visit. Activists, transvestites, trans women, lesbians, and gay men joined the thousands of people who welcomed him along the Alameda, the capital's main thoroughfare. This Tuesday morning, the tone shifted, set by YouTuber Francesc Morales: controversial yet conciliatory. Today, various activists also expressed their opposition to the Pope's visit in different ways. Victor Hugo Robles, the "Che of the Gays," told Presentes : "It's serious that a spiritual leader doesn't utter the word 'Freedom.' That he doesn't welcome incarcerated women." While the Pope officiated the “Mass for Peace and Justice” in O'Higgins Park, a group of young people participated in a “kiss-in” for sexual diversity, two blocks from the gathering.

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“I think the Pope’s visit is an opportunity to make ourselves visible and for others to understand that we too are people with rights, like everyone else,” she told Presents Francesc Morales, who organized the event through his social media, was present. Although a large turnout was expected, no more than 20 people showed up to kiss each other in front of the incredulous looks of parishioners who couldn't get into the mass, and in front of the Carabineros (Chilean police) guarding the area.   “I wanted to do something, to bring us together in some way, but not through confrontation. Rather, I wanted to reconcile and try to bring the community closer to the church, even though I'm not Catholic at all, but I can understand that many are. That's why I wanted to do something positive, far removed from what other types of demonstrations were proposing,” Francesc said, referring to the Movilh's call to action the previous day.

“Out with Bergoglio!”

On Monday, before the Pope passed near Plaza Italia, having just arrived from Rome, a group of LGBTQ+ activists awaited him not only to "welcome" him, but also to protest against the Catholic Church. This protest stemmed from a recent report by the NGO Bishop Accountability detailing 80 religious figures accused of abuse in Chile: four bishops, 66 priests, one deacon, two consecrated men, six Marist brothers, and one nun. "Out with Bergoglio!" "Pedophile!" some shouted, waving LGBTQ+ flags, as the Popemobile passed. Less than two hours later, the Pope, speaking from La Moneda Palace, apologized for the Church's abuse of minors. Later, at Mass in O'Higgins Park, he highlighted the presence of Juan Barros, a controversial bishop from Osorno closely associated with Fernando Karadima, the central figure in one of the most serious cases of pedophilia in the Chilean Church.

“The Gender Identity Law advanced despite the Pope”

Another highlight of the Pope's visit to the country was the passage of the Gender Identity Bill. It is now ready for a vote in the Chamber of Deputies next Tuesday, January 23. It was initially scheduled for today, but the Chamber deemed it a "provocation" to hold the vote during Bergoglio's official visit. After five years of processing, the approved bill will allow adults over 18 to legally change their name and gender through an administrative procedure at the Civil Registry, without any additional requirements or medical certificates. It will also allow transgender children to request a change of name and gender in family courts, a process that requires the consent of their parents or legal guardians. A judge may request a report and two years of follow-up. This has drawn criticism from activists and organizations, who had hoped the process would be administrative rather than judicial.

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The Movilh's activities also included the screening of a documentary about sexual abuse within the Church in Bustamante Park, very close to Plaza Italia. After the screening, Rolando Jiménez, spokesperson for the organization, said he was pleased not only with what the community had achieved minutes earlier in the Chamber, but also with the turnout: “We are few but powerful, and here we are, standing firm against this visit that we reject, because of all the horror that the Church represents. The Gender Identity Law advanced despite the Pope. Today, truth and justice triumphed. This is the beginning of the end of transphobia.”