The politics of LGBTQ rights expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Latin America is a region that has seen much progress in LGBTQ rights, including the decriminalization of same-sex sexual conduct, marriage equality in six countries and the implementation of anti-discrimination laws for sexual orientation. Yet, as this book contends, this progress has been uneven, given a variety of factors: conservative religion and machismo; limited engagement from philanthropic organizations; competition with other issues because of governance questions; and few openly LGBTQ celebrities and political leaders in the region. In his book, Javier Corrales sets out the ambitious task of summarizing the scholarly literature on political challenges and achievements in LGBTQ rights in Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1960s. The first three chapters review the regional history of LGBTQ rights in the last 60 years, with a focus on three major themes: cultural attitudes, political institutions and the internal characteristics of the LGBTQ movements across time. Corrales distinguishes between four time periods: the authoritarian era (1960s to late 1970s), the democratization era (1980s–90s), the rights-expansion era (from the 2000s onwards) and the current backlash era. The second part of the book explains the rise of LGBTQ rights. Here, Corrales brings in several potential factors to account for this change, such as religious attitudes; support of ruling parties; the role of courts; federalism; and unity in the LGBTQ movement. The author explores each of these factors, as well as their limitations, in a skilful and nuanced way. For instance, Corrales illustrates that federalism is a double-edged sword, as subnational progress in states can bring victories but also backlash, and create barriers to nationwide progress.