Chile: Aggressions on LGTBI People Climb To Record Numbers

Chile's Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (MOVILH) on Wednesday warned of the increase in homophobia and transphobia levels as 1,266 abuse cases against the LGBTI community were reported in 2020.

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MOVILH informed six murders of LGTBI community members, 148 physical or verbal aggressions perpetrated by civilians or police officers, 143 cases of labor discrimination, and 379 institutional marginalization episodes.

Last year, 26 percent of the aggressions affected gay people, 15 percent impacted lesbians, and 11 percent transgender people (76 women and 59 men). 

"President Sebastian Piñera's administration was weak in terms of public condemnation of human rights violations against LGBTI people and refused to implement targeted policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic," MOVILH stressed.

"The government was indifferent to homophobic abuses inside the Navy and made a permanent lobby at Congress to boycott legal equality", the Activists added. 

Valparaiso was the region with the highest number of aggressions with 38,4 percent of the cases, followed by the Metropolitan area and Biobio.

Despite the enactment of the 2019 Gender Identity Law, activists condemn that the Parliament delays discussions on home parental adoption and equal marriage laws. 

They also urged for modifications of the 2012 Zamudio Law, an anti-discrimination norm named after a young homosexual who was murdered by a neo-Nazi group.