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Country Overview

Peru

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

Yes

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

Yes

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Peru is one of the few countries in South America that has no legal recognition of same-sex couples. Trans people can go to the judiciary to rectify the name and gender marker on their national identity card, but the processes are expensive, complicated, and can take many years. Trans people's organizations have been fighting since 2016 to have a gender identity law that allows this change to be made administratively, but its approval has not yet been achieved due to the existing conservative majorities in Peruvian legislatures. Since 2017, Peru has had an explicit law against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ people remain, and cases of hate crimes often go unpunished. However, in April 2023, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights upheld a gay man’s rights to judicial protection and legal equality after he was subjected to discrimination at a business establishment. 

 

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

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United Nations

Our work at the United Nations centers around advocating for the advancement of the rights of LGBTIQ people.

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Asia

Our work in Asia promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society.

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Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa, we partner with local groups in various countries as part of our international solidarity work. We also work with our local partners on different topics through capacity building, advocacy, research and holistic security.



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Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

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Americas

Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

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Pacific

Our work in the Pacific aims to increase the visibility of activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional, and international activism to achieve equality and justice.

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Human Rights Research

Since 1990, we have partnered with activists from all over the world to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports.

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