Bolivia

Bolivia is regarded as one of the more progressive nations in Latin America. It is one of few countries to ban discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity in their constitution. The Gender Identity Law, passed in 2016, gives citizens the right to change their legal gender without sex reassignment surgery, however the new gender is not recognized by the government for marital purposes. An appeal to this decision has been filed, and would allow the new gender to be considered in marital dealings. Same-sex marriage is not yet legal. Before Spanish colonization and the conversion to Christianity, the people living in Bolivia were either indifferent to sexual orientation and gender identity or even believed that homosexual people were supernatural beings with special powers. The colonization by the Spanish did create a climate of homophobia and discrimination which activists have been working hard to combat.One such group is the Maricas Bolivia (Bolivia Queers). They want to substitute the word “marica”, which means queer, in for “gay” which is often seen as an insult in the Bolivian culture. They also believe that the word “gay” holds certain stereotypes that are potentially harmful and false. The Network of Lesbian and Bisexual Women has been fighting for LGBTQ+specific education in schools. Activists are working hard for the legalization of same-sex marriage, adoption rights, and overall equal treatment under the law. However, the political and economic instability plaguing Bolivia make it difficult for rights activists to gain support and fight for their beliefs. While Bolivia is fairly progressive in its constitutional protections, it is not immune to discrimination. In 2017, there were 64 LGBTQ+ citizens murdered, only 14 of which were investigated. Not one of the murder investigations resulted in a sentence. Many Bolivians have also expressed that if their family is not supportive of their sexual orientation or gender identity, it is more beneficial for them to hide their true identity and lead a double life in order to remain a part of their family to gain economic and social advantages. It is often difficult for LGBTQ+ people to take advantage of government services such as welfare and health services because they fear revealing their true identity.MostBolivians are supportive of LGBTQ+ rights and the constitutional protection and Gender Identity Law were steps toward equality, so it is surprising that there is so little research on the LGBTQ+ population in Bolivia and how old the available information is.

Adams, M. (2019). LGBT older adults in latin america: An emerging movement.ReVista (Cambridge),19(2), 1-7. Retrieved from https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2188843408?accountid=10598

Daly, T. (2010). Julieta Paredes and Alejandra Dorado: Queer Art and Human Rights in Contemporary Bolivia.Letras Femeninas,36(1), 19-36. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/23022333

David Donahue & Andrea Wise(2020)Queer Students, International Service-Learning, and Inclusivity: Insights into Identity, Activism, and Learning, Journal of Homosexuality, DOI:10.1080/00918369.2019.1698913

Heckert, C. (2019), TravestiSubjectivity and HIV Care: the Collision of the Global LGBT Rights and Evangelical Ex‐Gay Movements in Bolivia. The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 24: 406-423. doi:10.1111/jlca.12401S

ilva‐Santisteban, A., Eng, S., de la Iglesia, G., Falistocco, C. and Mazin, R. (2016), HIV prevention among transgender women in Latin America: implementation, gaps and challenges. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 19: 20799. doi:10.7448/IAS.19.3.20799

Terán Calderón, Carolina, Gorena Urizar, Dorian, González Blázquez, Cristina, Alejos Ferreras, Belén, Rubio, Oriana Ramírez, Bolumar Montrull, Francisco, Ortiz Rivera, Marta, & del Amo Valero, Julia. (2015). Knowledge, attitudes and practices on HIV/AIDS and prevalence of HIV in the general population of Sucre, Bolivia. Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases,19(4), 369-375. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2015.04.002

Wright, T. (2000), Gay Organizations, NGOs, and the Globalization of Sexual Identity: The Case of Bolivia. Journal of Latin American Anthropology, 5: 89-111. doi:10.1525/jlca.2000.5.2.89

Wright, T. R. (2006).Bolivia: Making gays in a queer place. AIDS, modernization, and the politics of sexual identity(Order No. 3234376). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (305341071). Retrieved from https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/305341071?accountid=10598