LGBTI: Report on the situation of the community in Colombia – Life

This Sunday is the International Pride Day LGBTI in commemoration of the demonstration that broke out on June 28, 1969 in New York and that marked the beginning of a homosexual liberation movement.

And although this year due to the pandemic the prepared festivities have been postponed, the LBGT groups carry out a marathon of activities on Saturday (Global Pride) on the Internet to make visible the fight for equal rights of the lesbian community, gays, transsexual and bisexual.

Currently, lThe challenges facing this community go beyond violence. According to the report ‘Stress, health and well-being of LGBTI people in Colombia. Results of a national survey ‘ Carried out by the Williams Institute of the University of California School of Law in Los Angeles, exposure to minority stress, discrimination and violence are common experiences for LGBTI people that cause serious adverse health outcomes.

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To carry out the study, the largest and most comprehensive survey ever conducted in Colombia was conducted, 4,867 members of the LGBTI community were interviewed nationwide. Marcela Sánchez, director of Colombia Diversa recognizes that the most important thing about this report is that for the first time a survey indicates in detail the phenomenon, the place where it is happening and who are the main victims, “the lack of data should be taken as a new way of discrimination because without figures there are no rights, there is no possibility that the state will attend to such a situation if it is unaware of it, ”he says.

The report highlights that members of the LGBTI community, from all socioeconomic levels, are present in all regions of Colombia and that at some point in their lives They have suffered from psychological anxiety and suicidal ideation due in large part to the high levels of discrimination and violence that they still suffer.
According to the report, 55% of LGBTI people had had suicidal thoughts throughout their lives, and one in four (25%) had attempted suicide at least once. Within the community the most affected are bisexual women (33%) and people transgender (31%) with a higher rate of suicide attempts.

Just as levels of physical violence against the LGBTI community increase over the years, so does psychological violence., “The level of stress that can generate for many members of the community to go out because they can be violated is very high,” says Emilia Márquez, director of the NGO Observatorio de Sexo de Temblores.

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According to the National Registry of Victims, violence against the LGBTI community includes homicide, torture, displacement, crimes against freedom and sexual integrity, among other acts of violence. In 2017, 109 deaths of community members and 66 activists were reported and LGBTI defenders reported receiving threats and 6 of them were killed.

Other data that is rescued from the report is that 75% of the respondents reported that they were victims of bullying at least once before the age of 18 and Most LGBTI students feel insecure in their schools because of their sexual orientation.

EDITING LIFE

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