Peru faces backlash for classifying transgender identities as mental disorders
The government of Peru has officially changed legal regulations to classify transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals as having mental health disorders. This action has sparked outrage among groups supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
The decree signed by Peruvian President Dina Boluarte defines "transsexuality" and "gender identity disorders in children" as mental health issues. It also includes under this category "dual-role transvestism", "fetishistic transvestism", and "other gender identity disorders".
The Peruvian Ministry of Health explains that this change aims to "guarantee a full range of medical care in the field of mental health" for transgender individuals. At the same time, it emphasizes that it will not force transgender individuals to undergo conversion therapy.
The LGBTQ+ community opposes Peru's decision
The decision was met with sharp criticism from many LGBTQ+ rights defenders worldwide. Jheinser Pacaya, director of OutfestPeru, said that Peru's trans community will not rest until the decree is repealed. He emphasized that the government "has nothing better to do" than attack trans people, adding that this is happening more than a century after the decriminalization of homosexuality in Peru in 1924.
The group defending LGBTQ+ rights, Red Peruana, also condemned the government for further stigmatizing the Peruvian trans community, arguing that this policy is based on an "outdated" view of gender identity.
Medical researcher Percy Mayta-Tristán from the Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima pointed out the lack of awareness of the complex issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in the context of Peru's ultra-conservative society. "Labeling them as mentally ill opens the door to reparative therapies," which, according to the researcher, is unacceptable.
A 2023 Ipsos poll showed that 81 per cent of Peruvian citizens believe that transgender people are currently experiencing significant discrimination in society.
Possible protests during Pride Month
The new classification also raises controversy due to the lack of consultation with the LGBTQ+ community itself. Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney took a health break to Peru last year after her campaign with Bud Light was met with a wave of online hate and led to financial losses for the popular brewing company.
Mulvaney posted a video from the South American country where she talked about her sense of security and the kindness of Peruvian society. Therefore, the new legal change is even more surprising. June is Pride Month, and the LGBTQ+ community in Peru does not rule out protests against the discriminatory classification.
