A historic day for the LGBTI community in Peru before the March

Hundreds of Peruvians belonging to the LGBTI population entered Plaza Bolívar and extended the multicolored flags of sexual and gender diversity, an event considered historic.

June 27, 2019

By Verónica Ferrari

Opening photo: Laura Lozada

The Peruvian LGBTI community held its press conference this Thursday, June 27th, at the Congress of the Republic, announcing the upcoming Pride March on the 29th. While it may seem like a common activity, Plaza Bolívar, which has been completely fenced off for several years, had never before been opened to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people. That "miracle" became a reality today.

Hundreds of Peruvians belonging to the LGBTI population entered Plaza Bolívar and extended the multicolored flags of sexual and gender diversity, an event considered historic in a country and a Congress that systematically denies them laws to protect and guarantee their lives.

Congress members Marisa Glave and Indira Huilca of Nuevo Perú, Alberto de Belaunde of the Liberal Caucus, Guido Lombardi and Gino Costa of Peruanos por el Kambio, and Vice President Mercedes Aráoz were present at the press conference. They spoke alongside activists representing diverse identities, emphasizing the need for the Peruvian government to legislate on the vulnerable situation of the LGBTI population.

Days earlier, the permission granted by the President of Congress, Daniel Salaverry, to access Plaza Bolívar was harshly criticized by members of the Fujimori party and conservative sectors, who even filed a "preventive" lawsuit alleging that obscene acts, exhibitionism, and inappropriate touching of children would be committed during the press conference. On the day of the press conference itself, half an hour before it was scheduled to begin, an armed contingent of police blocked the activists' access, forcing them to wait nearly half an hour to enter the Plaza. Congresswomen Indira Huilca and Marisa Glave had to intervene to ensure that the rights of those attending were not violated.

Despite all this, the event was a success and the announcement of the 18th Pride March on Saturday, June 29th was disseminated nationwide due to press coverage and indirect publicity from homophobic groups.

Saturday's march is expected to draw more than 50,000 people, whose motto this year is "Education with freedom and equality. Let's defend the gender approach!"

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