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In the countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—a series of forums have been held in the last week with the aim of “preventing homosexuality.” These activities are supported by ultraconservative organizations such as the Sí a la Vida Foundation , which promotes “the restoration of ethical and moral values, respect for life from conception to natural death, the strengthening of the family, and respect for human dignity.”

This has put LGBT+ human rights organizations on alert because it fuels hate speech.

According to speaker Rubén García, it is possible to "prevent homosexuality." He believes that if the parents of these individuals had received information on prevention, "there wouldn't be such high rates of homosexuality and lesbianism."

García is a Catholic preacher and evangelist, author of the book "A Homosexual Touched by God's Mercy." He asserts that "with affection, approval, and protection, it is possible to prevent homosexuality" and says it is a "trendy topic in the media."

#InBrief Rubén García shares his life story and gives us a preview of the conference he will be giving in the country, titled: “The Family Facing Gender Ideology.” https://t.co/Zy7cPLIl2w

— Frente a Frente TCS (@Frentea_Frente) March 6, 2019

  In El Salvador, the forum was promoted in the most widely circulated media outlets. For various activists and human rights defenders, the media's openness to these debates without taking the LGBT community into account promotes hatred and misinformation in Salvadoran society.

“People who proclaim these hate speeches against the LGBT community increase violence and misinformation in society,” Mónica Linares, director of the Solidarity Association to Promote Human Development (ASPIDH), told Presentes.

The forums were held in two of the three countries with the highest number of homophobic attacks in the Central American region: Guatemala and El Salvador, according to the Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policies (IEEPP).

A report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) explained that one of the main causes of violence against LGBTQ+ people lies in moral prejudice. “It’s a violation of human rights; they’re spreading a message of hate against LGBT people,” Bianka Rodríguez, director of COMCAVIS TRANS, told Presentes. The IEPP study concluded that the context of violence in Guatemala and El Salvador is such that members of LGBTQ+ movements, as well as unorganized members of the community, are forced to emigrate to Mexico due to the aggression and intolerance that exists in those countries.