PBI-Honduras accompanies LGBTQI+ rights organization Arcoiris at ‘Vote for Equality’ meeting ahead of November 28 election

PBI-Honduras has posted: “Last October 15, PBI accompanied Arcoíris, the LGTB Association of Honduras to the presentation of the actions of the campaign ‘Vote for Equality’ organized Somos- CDC [Center for Development and LGBTI Cooperation]. One of the goals of the campaign is to promote the free, transparent and informed vote of vulnerable groups, such as the #LGTBIQ+ community.”

“David Valle, Program Manager and Access to Justice of Somos CDC, pointed out that it is important that people holding public office recognize that the LGTBIQ+ community is part of society, an entity of change and that therefore, laws and changes must be generated that respect your rights. In the same vein, he encouraged no hate speech being promoted against the community.”

PBI-Honduras adds: “We stress the importance of the involvement of the collective of sexual diversity in building an increasingly inclusive world.”

November 28 general election

A general election will take place in Honduras on November 28 of this year.

On September 14, PBI-Honduras tweeted: “More than 30 human rights organizations ask to prevent and sanction campaigns that promote hatred towards women and LGTB people. In the electoral framework, they ask the @MP_Honduras [Public Ministry] to act ex officio against any incitement to discrimination.”

Donny Reyes of Arcoiris has stated that members of the National Party have orchestrated a campaign of rejection towards these groups, therefore, there must be protection from the National Electoral Council (CNE).

Equality and Equity

The Honduran Constitution expressly bans same-sex marriage and refuses to recognize them even if they have been legally sanctioned in other countries, including in Canada where it has been legal since July 2005. Honduras also bans adoption by same-sex couples.

Gender Identity Act

In Honduras it is not possible to change your name and it’s “forbidden by law to make any modification of the sex assigned in the original birth certificate.” This past July, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that the Honduran State must allow people to alter their gender identity on identification documents and public records.

Canada, LGBTQI+ rights and security forces

Reyes has also stated: “The biggest problem that we face is the violence of the state security forces towards the LGBT+ community: the armed forces, the police, the criminal investigation police, military police, municipal police.”

In November 2020, during the UN periodic review of human rights in Honduras, Canada recommended that Honduras: “Investigate and bring to justice cases of human rights violations implicating military forces and create a well-defined plan to complete the reform of the police and remove the military from civilian security duties.”

And yet, as noted here, Canada has trained members of the Honduran military, provided surveillance equipment and training (that can be used to monitor human rights defenders), and has had a security cooperation agreement with Colombia for activities in Honduras.

The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has accompanied Arcoíris, the LGTB Association of Honduras since July 2015.