VOLA Webinar 2: The Rainbow Tide and Fighting Machismo – 10 April 15:00-16:30
Women in Latin America have made significant advances in every social and institutional field, being at the forefront of fights for justice. Yet cultural values have not caught up. Ingrained sexism permeates almost every aspect of daily life, so that womxn in the region face extreme forms of oppression and inequality. This is manifest in some of the highest rates of femicide and sexual violence in the world, as well as draconian anti-abortion laws.
Latin American countries have also passed some of the world’s most advanced pro-LGBT laws. However, rates of discrimination, violence, and murder affecting gay and trans people are extremely high, especially in Brazil and Central America. LGBT people are campaigning for same-sex marriage, laws against homophobia and pathologisation, and the right to change gender identity by simple administrative procedures, though the churches, both Catholic and Evangelical, present a formidable barrier.
Building on the Voices of Latin America book published in January 2019, the authors are back to provide an update on Latin America’s new activism. Our next webinar, The Rainbow Tide and Fighting Machismo will be presented by Louise Morris, author of the ‘Fighting Machismo: Women on the Front Line’ and ‘Cultural Resistance’ chapters, and Ali Rocha, author of ‘LGBT rights: The Rainbow Tide’ chapter.
We hear from Carla Rios, from La Brigada Humanitaria de Paz, Mexico, who discusses defending protestors and the criminalisation of the feminist movement.
We introduce the new voice of Neesa Medina, from Somos Muchas, Honduras, a national collective of organisations and activists defending the right to choose who will discuss their struggle against Honduras’ draconian anti-abortion laws.
We’ll catch up with Jean Wyllys, who featured in the Voices book. Jean was the first openly-gay and proud federal deputy who fought for LGBT+ rights in congress. He has been living in exile since January 2019 as death threats against him intensified after Bolsonaro’s election. He talks about increased LGBT+phobia in Brazil and the resistance to it.
Marta Alanis, from Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Argentina, who has nearly 30 years’ experience in the struggle for abortion rights, will join us for a live Q&A.
Book your place here.
About the series:
Building on the Voices of Latin America book published in January 2019, the authors are back to provide an update on Latin America’s new activism. From Bolsonaro’s presidency and Chile’s estallido social to Colombia’s peace process and regional migratory caravans, we will be discussing Latin America’s developments from the past few years and talking about how social activists have adapted to these new challenges.
The testimonies of activists will be at the heart of the seminars. We will catch up with the activists and leaders featured in the book as well as hearing from new changemakers in pre-recorded interviews. Each seminar will be followed by a Q&A with the speakers and an activist from the ‘front line’.
A note: We have taken the decision not to make the COVID-19 pandemic the focus of these seminars. The pandemic has indeed infiltrated every aspect of life during the past year and has taken a disproportionate toll on the underprivileged communities of Latin America. Here, however, we seek here to talk about other ongoing and long-term issues that Latin Americans face. LAB is currently producing a Voices project specifically about the impact of COVID-19, which will be publicised and made available in due course.
Schedule
10 April | 15:00-16:30 | The Rainbow Tide and Fighting Machismo
8 May | 15:00-16:30 | The Rights of Nature and Indigenous Peoples
12 June | 15:00-16:30 | Cultural Resistance
*All times are UK local time.
For enquiries, please contact emily.gregg@lab.org.uk
Previous webinars:
13 March | 15:00-16:30 | State Violence and Student Resistance
Thank you to the Society for Latin American Studies for their generous grant which made this series possible. Thank you also to LAB’s volunteers for their assistance in this project.