Peru has officially classifies transgender, nonbinary, intersex people as ‘mentally ill’.
The decision has sparked widespread criticism within the country. Previously, lawmakers had prohibited any mention of gender equality in school textbooks.
This has had dire consequences for educational programs aimed at combating domestic violence and femicides.
César Vásquez, the health minister, has refrained from addressing the controversy. However, he has come to the defense of President Dina Boluarte regarding the declaration.
The president herself is currently under scrutiny for her questionable acquisition of expensive jewelry, including a £40,000 diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelet.
In a separate incident, her brother Nicanor Boluarte was apprehended for selling high-ranking government positions.
In response, the president disbanded an elite police anti-corruption unit and attempted, unsuccessfully, to prevent the release of official statistics revealing an increase in poverty rates.
Percy Mayta-Tristán, a medical researcher at Lima’s Scientific University of the South, suggested that while the decree may have been well-intended, it demonstrated a lack of understanding of the intricacies surrounding LGBT issues.
“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,” he said.