VENEZUELA PHOTO SET LGTBIQ+ COMMUNITY

Dull voices: The life of the LGBTIQ+ community in Venezuela

epa10051512 An artist prepares for a drag queen show, in Caracas, Venezuela, 28 June 2022 (issued 04 July 2022). In addition to facing their families, in Venezuela, the LGBTIQ+ population battles with the stigmatization, prejudices and violence of society against a State that offers few guarantees in terms of sexual diversity. However, the lack of protection and helplessness do not stop the daily life of this community in the country, although fear is always present. Regarding the region, Venezuela is a few steps behind. There is no equal marriage, there is no right to identity and much less a constitutional guarantee, but beyond the legal battles, concern is growing about violence against those who openly identify with LGTBIQ+ groups. In a country with opaque figures It is difficult to have exact data on violence against sexual diversity, however, the statistics compiled by Accion Ciudadana Contra el SIDA (ACCSI) (Citizen Action Against AIDS) records that 192 people were victims of violence between 2009 and 2017 and 109 were murdered. According to the Observatory of Murdered Trans People, between 2008 and September 2021, 129 trans people died in the country. The NGO 'Somos' recorded only in 2021 that 21 members of the LGTBIQ+ community were murdered that year. To this is added the discrimination in places and restaurants from which they are frequently expelled. People who have been fighting for decades from their spaces, like Noelia Gelo, owner of a café in a popular area of Caracas, lives to leave the legacy of her work to the younger generations, promoting her voice with artistic expressions. Despite fear, organized groups were present in Gay Pride Month. For them, June represents an opportunity for expression and recognition. Protests for his identity before the National Electoral Council, sports activities, cultural demonstrations and night shows were part of his agenda. The rainbow, the colorful flags and the sequins shine but on the fringes of legality. Tod

▶제보는 카톡 okjebo