In Peru, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital on Friday to protest against a new law that classifies transgender individuals, among others, as having a mental illness in order to access health benefits.
Carrying banners with slogans like “No more stigmas” and “My identity is not a disease,” around 500 people marched peacefully in downtown Lima.
The law, approved administratively by President Dina Boluarte’s government, designates transgender individuals, cross-dressers, and others with gender identity disorders as diagnosed with “illnesses,” making them eligible for mental health services from both public and private providers.
The demonstrators peacefully arrived at the health ministry offices without any reported clashes.
Activist Gahela Cari Contreras emphasised that gender identities are no longer viewed as pathologies.
She accused Boluarte’s government of attempting to infringe upon the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, stating, “We’re not going to let them.”
Critics of the law argue that updating the country’s PEAS health regulations was unnecessary, as existing rules already permitted universal access to mental health services.
Government officials have attempted to portray the controversy as a misunderstanding.
In a statement released shortly after the law’s promulgation, the health ministry emphasised that it rejects the stigmatisation of LGBTQ+ individuals.
The ministry clarified that the legal language aims to ensure more comprehensive health coverage.
According to the statement, the ministry “categorically reaffirms respect for the dignity of the person and their free actions within the framework of human rights, providing health services for their benefit.”
However, despite the ministry’s argument, the protesters remained unconvinced, and some medical experts advocated for the law to be amended.
“We don’t see any need to include diagnoses or pathologies that no longer exist in health insurance plans,” stated Pedro Riega Lopez, dean of Peru’s CMP medical college and a practicing doctor.
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