Amid accusations from none other than President Juan Orlando Hernández , the diverse population of Honduras, especially in San Pedro Sula, on the country's north coast, joined the LGBTIQ+ Pride March 2021 last Saturday the 18th.

President Hernández, nicknamed JOH for his initials, in his Bicentennial speech called people of sexual diversity “enemies of independence” and defenders of “anti-values”.

JOH's message comes amid a wave of attacks from fanatics and religious leaders in Honduras. However, the diverse population, which considers the speech "a message of hate," held a colorful parade through the main streets of San Pedro Sula under a blazing sun.

The participants in the march raised their voices to respond to the accusations of JOH, who in his message cited the Honduran Constitution to supposedly defend “principles and values” such as “family, marriage, motherhood and childhood”.

Despite the direct attack, the president made an absurd mistake in his speech, speaking of protecting social principles from “dangers such as marriage between people of different sexes” instead of referring to same-sex marriage. His error became the subject of ridicule on social media platforms like TikTok.

Attacks following hate messages

Rihanna Ferrera, director of Conzumel Trans, told Presentes that the government's rhetoric is generating more aggression against diverse populations, especially trans women. Last Friday, a trans woman in Tegucigalpa was attacked by having glass bottles broken over her head. When she filed a report with the National Police, they refused to listen to her.

“These situations are happening and it is necessary to bring them to light. Krisna went to the police station to file a complaint and they didn't take any statement from her, discriminating against her for being a trans woman,” she said.

In Honduras, from 2009 to 2021, 389 LGBTIQ+ people have been murdered, of which 10 gay men, three trans people, and three lesbians have been murdered this year, according to the monitoring of violent deaths maintained by the Cattrachas Lesbian Network.

They continue to demand a gender identity law

This year, the colorful LGBTQ+ parade traveled through the streets and avenues of downtown San Pedro Sula until it reached the City Hall, headed by Armando Calidonio, a politician belonging to the National Party, the same party as President Hernández.

The parade stopped the heavy traffic that runs along Third Avenue in San Pedro Sula, where by tradition crowds of street vendors set up shop.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community from northern, central, southern, and western Honduras wore clothing alluding to their struggles, challenges, and achievements. They also carried flags and large umbrellas in the colors of the LGBTQ+ flag.

The participants in the parade carried colorful signs and banners on which they wrote messages against discrimination and against what they consider hate speech from churches, the State and other conservative groups in Honduras.

In their messages during the mobilization, the LGBTIQ+ groups asked the State to approve the gender identity law and equal marriage and give them greater political participation.

Diverse organizations have been asking the government for years to pass a law that gives them more visibility and allows them to marry.

However, instead of passing laws that benefit vulnerable populations such as LGBTIQ+ people and women, the government has promoted regulations that condemn abortion with unpayable fines and years in prison.

Diverse groups such as Kukulcán, Cozumel Trans, Arcoíris, Iguales, Somos CDC, Afest, Oprouce, Aprest, Cepres, Muñecas de Arcoíris, Diversidad en Resistencia, Honduras Diversa, Colectivo Violeta, Colectivo Color Rosa, Asociación Luna LGBT, Horus, Asociación LGBTI Sureña, Human e Ixchekl, Colectivo Negritudes Trans, among others, joined the massive activity.

The members of the organizations arrived dressed in cheerful outfits that filled the Honduran streets with color and sparkle.

Organizations respond to JOH

Dany Montesinos, from the Kukulkán Association, told Presentes that JOH's words represent a setback because they are offered after the IACHR ruling in the case of Vicky Hernández.

“People have the right to make their own decisions, and the Executive branch is creating a smear campaign to spread misinformation,” Montesinos said. Kukulkán, based in Tegucigalpa, supports gay, lesbian, and transgender people throughout Honduras.

For its part, the Cattrachas Lesbian Network wrote on its Twitter account: “The rights of LGBTI people do not depend on any political party. Equal marriage is a matter of human rights and international obligations of the State of Honduras.”

LGBTI rights are not dependent on any political party.

Marriage equality is a matter of human rights and international obligations of the State.

— CATTRACHAS (@CATTRACHAS) September 20, 2021

Cattrachas won the case of Vicky Hernández along with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights earlier this year. Hernández was a trans activist who was killed during the 2009 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and installed a de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti.

Vicky's case remained unpunished for 12 years, until Cattrachas and a team of lawyers took it to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Court condemned the Honduran state for Vicky's murder. 

Grecia O'Hara, from the youth and LGBTIQ+ organization Somos CDC, stated: “During election time, the LGBTI+ issue is treated as a joke. I find it a deplorable act that shouldn't be happening.”

Meanwhile, JLo Córdova, from the transgender association Muñecas de Arcoíris (Rainbow Dolls), said, “Their words will not stop us from marching with pride. We can no longer allow them to call us enemies and people without values. We are not afraid.”

Donnis Reyes, director of the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights (Ciprodeh), expressed a similar view. According to Reyes, the disinformation campaigns against human rights defenders are only promoting division.

“God is love, respect, and building peaceful communities. Merchants of faith use people to maintain ignorance through disinformation,” he said.

Javier Carrington, from the organization Iguales, also shouted that now more than ever we must go out and defend the rights of people of sexual diversity, especially those of LGBTIQ+ children and families.

Youth join the march

The 2021 LGBTIQ+ march was renewed with a wave of young people of different orientations and expressions who joined the movement's leaders to defend their rights.

Furthermore, Honduran youth, along with organizations defending sexual diversity, demanded an end to the use of "hate speech" to promote disinformation, with only a few months left before the general elections on November 28th.

As is tradition in Honduras, the traditional conservative Liberal and National parties are vying for the presidency and other state powers. However, as has been the case for some years now, there is a third party in the running: the Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), which promotes greater inclusion for the country's LGBTIQ+ population.

The traditional parties that have always governed Honduras, on the other hand, offer few spaces for sexual diversity and even, as in the case of President Hernández's "hate speech", promote rejection and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ groups.

In fact, the current ruling National Party shows enormous influence from religious groups, especially the Catholic Church, despite the fact that the Honduran state is secular, according to the Constitution. In this regard, a group of young people from the organization Honduras Diversa wrote on a banner: “My greatest sexual fantasy is the separation of Church and State.”

The message won the sympathy of those present due to its original approach and at the same time made them reflect. 

The message from Honduras Diversa is a response to the speeches of the last few days by evangelical pastors and leaders of the Catholic Church such as Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez.

It is also a demand directed at political aspirants such as the National Party candidate for the Municipality of Tegucigalpa, David Chávez, who speak out against abortion, the gender identity law and equal unions.

“Let us not vote for death, nor for murder, much less for anti-values,” said Cardinal Rodríguez. The Catholic leader was referring to the proposal of Xiomara Castro, of the Libre Party, whose government plan includes rights for women, LGBTQ+ people, and comprehensive sex education for young people.

Apologize and serve the sentence 

"Have the guts to apologize to Vicky Hernández's family and others," Gabriela Redondo, director of the Pink Unity Collective, told Juan Orlando Hernández.

Redondo alluded to the fact that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned the Honduran State for these murders and ordered it to provide reparations to the victims' families.

“We demand that the government comply with the court ruling, and we want the gender identity law now. Just as (Juan Orlando Hernandez) turns the population against us, then he should have the courage to face the music and apologize for the deaths of our sisters,” Redondo said in a speech that was met with applause.

According to the IACHR ruling, the State of Honduras will have to find the regulations and legal protocols for the identification of trans people.

Furthermore, it is required to include in its training processes the training of justice operators on issues of gender and sexual diversity.