The Peruvian government has formally labelled transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals as “mentally ill”.
According to The Telegraph, the health ministry said the decree was the only way Peru’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health”.
This action has sparked strong criticism in a society where gender and LGBT rights have faced continuous attacks in recent years, and where there are significant levels of homophobia, transphobia, and gender-based violence.
César Vásquez, the health minister, has not made any comments regarding the controversy.
However, he has supported President Dina Boluarte for her statement. The president is being investigated for purchasing expensive jewellery, like a diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelet worth £40,000, without any explanation as to how she could afford them.
Recently, lawmakers prohibited any mentions of gender equality in school textbooks. This has had a devastating impact on classes aimed at preventing domestic violence and femicide.
Percy Mayta-Tristán, a medical researcher at Lima’s Scientific University of the South, suggested that while the decree may have had good intentions, it demonstrated a lack of understanding of the complexities facing LGBT people.
He said, “You can’t ignore the context that this is happening in a super-conservative society, where the LGBT community has no rights and where labelling them as mentally ill opens the door to conversion therapy”.
Mr. Castillo’s initial prime minister, Guido Bellido, was recognized for, among other things, praising Fidel Castro for not permitting gay individuals—whom he referred to using a derogatory term—to join the Cuban revolution.
Photo credit: @EndWokeness – X