Same-sex ruling will face challenges in Latin America

Subject

LGBTI rights in Latin America.

Significance

On January 9, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling, requiring that states party to the American Convention on Human Rights must recognise same-sex marriage. The ruling also recognised the right of transgender people to change their names on legal documentation. The region has seen significant progress on LGBTI rights over recent years, but the ruling will face strong pushback from some states and religious groups.

Impacts

• Opposition in some countries will be driven by factors including a heavily ‘machista’ culture, and moral hostility from religious groups.
• Legislation alone will not reduce the risks of violence and discrimination faced by LGBTI communities.
• The difficulty of imposing uniform LGBTI rights across regions will be replicated elsewhere.