6 months ago
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NEW DELHI: Approximately 500 protesters peacefully marched through the streets of downtown Lima, Peru's capital, on Friday demanding the repeal of a recently approved law that categorizes transgender individuals, among others, as having a mental illness in order to access health benefits.
The demonstrators carried banners with slogans such as "No more stigmas" and "My identity is not a disease."
The law, which was administratively approved last week by President Dina Boluarte's government, states that individuals who identify as transgender, along with "cross dressers" and "others with gender identity disorders," are considered to have "illnesses" that qualify them for mental health services through both public and private providers.
The protesters reached the health ministry offices without any reported clashes.
Activist Gahela Cari Contreras criticized the government's actions, stating, "Gender identities are no longer considered pathologies. We're not going to let them." Critics argue that the update to the country's PEAS health regulations was unnecessary, as existing rules already provided universal access to mental health services.
In response to the controversy, the health ministry released a statement shortly after the law's promulgation, insisting that it rejects the stigmatization of LGBTQ+ people and that the legal language aims to ensure more comprehensive health coverage. The ministry stated that it "categorically reaffirms respect for the dignity of the person and their free actions within the framework of human rights, providing health services for their benefit."
Despite the ministry's explanation, the protesters remained unconvinced, and some medical experts, such as Pedro Riega Lopez, dean of Peru's CMP medical college and a doctor himself, advocated for the law to be amended. "We don't see any need to incorporate diagnoses or pathologies that no longer exist into health insurance plans," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
