Fun Fast Facts:
Updated: 12 Aug 2014 (Fighting against homophobic bullying in schools while fighting for civil unions)
- Same-sex sexual activity among consenting adults is legal.
- An exception was previously made for all military and police personnel, who could be punished with between 60 days to 20 years imprisonment or discharged from the forces. However, in December 2009, the Supreme Court of Peru ruled that homosexual orientation or engaging in homosexual sex cannot be an impediment to membership of the police forces or the military.
- Homosexuality can also be used as grounds for separation or divorce.
- Society’s attitude towards homosexuals is generally hostile and is heavily influenced by the Catholic Church.
- Peru was named the least gay-friendly country in Latin America, according to a 2013 survey by a queer tourism company. It ranked 108th out of 138 countries around the world, sharing a position with Turkey, Zambia and Uganda, far below other South American countries like Mexico (48) and Brazil (22).
- Hate crimes are still perpetrated in the country, accounting for 17 murders of LGTBQ people between January 2013 and March 2014, according to the annual report on gay rights by the Promsex NGO.
Fighting against homophobic bullying in schools while fighting for civil unions
Broadcast: 12 Aug 2014
LGBTIQ-friendly organisation: Institute of Studies in Health, Sexuality and Human Development (IASSCS)
- IASSCS is a non-profit civil association concerned with the social and cultural study of sexuality.
- IASSCS is committed to a broad range of research activities, including strengthening communication and promoting collaboration among researchers, policy makers, and activists/advocates.
- The organisation delivers research development, training, policy and advocacy.
W3JOY interviewed: Loti of Institute of Studies in Health, Sexuality and Human Development (IASSCS)
“What we found out is that we are having a terrible problem with teachers actually doing the bullying (in schools). We might have some students doing the bullying but what is affecting the teenagers is that their teachers are telling them that they’re immoral and they should just leave because they are not worth their time. Sometimes it’s the principal of the school that is the one that is doing all the bullying.”
“They did an intervention in main plazas of some of the main cities in Peru. They showed us how everything the media shows, everything people buy, everything people listen (to), is actually promoting this (gender based) violence.”
“When you ask people if they believe they’re macho or they believe there is machismo in the country, they actually say ‘no’. But when you ask them questions like ‘should a woman make less money because she has to take care of children, then they say ‘yes’.”
“People in Peru are largely homophobic. This last few months, we are trying to pass the civil union laws so that it is legal for gay, lesbian, same-sex couples to have a civil union and we have a lot of church people going against it.”