Blog #2 - Katrin Sawatzky on Gay Rights in Guatemala

Hola, compañeros de viaje!

Gay Rights in Guatemala

My primary article of interest was found in El Periodico, and told the story of international super star, Ricky Martin. Made public on November 2nd, 2010 was his autobiography entitled “Yo”; a memoir of his journey to self-acceptance and coming out.

Como dice en su nuevo libro, que saliera sucedió cuando su madre le preguntó: "Kiki, ¿estás enamorada?"
"Sí, mami", respondió él, "Yo estoy completamente en el amor."
"Aaaah," dijo. "Y es un hombre que está enamorado?"
"Sí, mami. Es un hombre. "
Y eso fue todo.
Su madre no parecía que el sudor, pero Martin luchó mucho con su sexualidad y tardó años en llegar a un acuerdo con él. Él escribe que se sentía "miedo" y "odiaba" a sí mismo.

Me sorprendió gratamente el apoyo de la comunidad internacional ofreció Martín, y por alguna extraña razón e ignorante que piensa que todos los de América Latina tendrían la misma respuesta a la homosexualidad. Por lo tanto, que hice mi investigación.

This was far, far from the case. My research began with one article entitled “Beso colectivo gay en protesta por la visita del Papa”. This article reported on a protest that was held in front of a museum where hundreds of gay activists were kissing collectively to protest the Pope’s visit and position on sexual freedom. Protesters engaged in these vindictive acts of love while chanting slogans like, “"la Iglesia que ilumina es la que arde". My further research was disturbing and scary. Through various other articles and online blogging sites, I discovered that Guatemala has no laws prohibiting homosexuality, but the subject is so taboo, and anti-gay violence so accepted, that openly gay groups simply do not exist. This distinguishes Guatemala from Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras and El Salvador, where out-gay groups have formed in the 1990s. I also found that Abuses against gays and lesbians by governmental authorities in the form of rape, forced fellatio, imprisonment without trial for prolonged periods, theft of personal belongings, beatings, threats to cause bodily harm, and death. Lesbians face distinct repression. The perception is that they have chosen their orientation either because they can’t attract men or because they haven’t had intercourse with a “real” man. The leader of an organization called We Are Women, Guatemala’s only lesbian organization, describes other obstacles. “It’s more difficult for lesbians who are married to meet their lovers than it is for gay men who are married,” she says. “Women don’t have the cultural permission to come and go as they please.” 'Pandora’s Box' Guatemala’s first and, until recently, only gay bar—opened in 1976. The owners of most gay bars pay regular ‘financial contributions’ to guarantee that their bars are not closed and their clients are not harassed.

Es loco, no?