Hundreds of Salvadorans demand respect for LGBTIQ+ rights in Pride march

More than five hundred people marched through the main streets of San Salvador on June 27, demanding respect for the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals and denouncing efforts to suppress their struggle for dignity.

The Pride march, accompanied by floats, music, and rainbow flags, carried banners with messages such as "we continue resisting with all our colors." Participants read a statement denouncing attempts to "gag our fight for the right to live with dignity." They expressed determination not to retreat despite facing increasing hardship.

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We have sought to intimidate us, to return us to a shadow from which we do not intend to move. Every June we come with more tiredness, more hunger, more debt, but we are not going to back down.

One participant, identifying only as Moisés, told EFE that the march effectively conveyed the message of inclusion and the freedom to express oneself without fear, especially in a country where repression is prevalent. He stated that El Salvador needs to advance its legislation to allow people to live "free of labels" and fully recognize their rights, lamenting the persistence of machismo structures even within the LGBTIQ+ community.

For years, LGBTIQ+ organizations have advocated for laws to reduce discrimination, allow name changes according to gender identity, and address impunity for hate crimes. A Gender Identity Law project presented in 2018 was archived in 2021 by the legislature dominated by President Nayib Bukele's party. According to the organization COMCAVIS TRANS, over six hundred murders of LGBTIQ+ individuals have been recorded in El Salvador since 1993. Additionally, between 2018 and September 2019, 151 cases of forced displacement of LGBTIQ+ individuals were reported.

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the theme of inclusion, the theme of being able to express yourself freely, being able to be who you are without fear