Chile advances in repeal of homophobic law

Chile took another step in the long road followed to eliminate the last homophobic law that establishes an age of sexual consent for homosexuals, different from that of heterosexuals, the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MOVILH) reported on Thursday.

Article 365 of the current Chilean Penal Code establishes the age of sexual consent for same-sex couples at 18 years, while for heterosexuals it is 14 years.

The president of MOVILH, Gonzalo Velásquez, declared that “we are a step away from eliminating from our legal system the last law that stigmatizes and criminalizes people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Velásquez specified that the Constitution and Legislation Commission of the Senate approved the repeal of the article the day before, which already has the approval of the Chamber of Deputies. Now the project will be seen by the plenary session of the upper house, and then it will go to its third process, which should be the last.

He added that the legislative process “brings us closer to a milestone and the closure of the longest chapter in the legislative fight against homo/transphobia.” In 1999, MOVILH initiated pressure to repeal article 365.

Chile undertook to repeal the article in 2016 with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, after signing a Friendly Settlement Agreement.

Another advance made by MOVILH was recorded ten days ago, when it signed an unprecedented commitment with the Chilean government that seeks to improve the quality of life of older adults in the LGBTIQA+ community. And three days before, in a massive march, the modification of the Penal Code on the issue that affects them was their main demand.

In Chile marriage equality was approved with the right to adoption at the beginning of last December and the first legal union between two men was registered three months later.

In the South American country, six years passed from the promulgation of the Civil Union Agreement, during the second government of former President Michelle Bachelet (2014-2018), until the approval of equal marriage, during the second government of former President Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022). ).

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