This year marks a new beginning for Puerto Rico's LGBTQ community following the deadliest year for transgender people in the U.S. territory in 2020. LGBTQ Puerto Ricans are cautiously optimistic that the Caribbean Island is potentially turning a corner with two separate campaigns. Puerto Rico's new governor, Pedro Pierluisi, declared a state of emergency at the beginning of the year, and established a new task force focused on gender-based violence. Then in the fall, Discover Puerto Rico announced its new LGBTQ tourism campaign, "Live Out," that places transgender and gender-variant travelers front and center. "We have an epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence in Puerto Rico, which last year Puerto Rico was the epicenter of anti-trans violence," gay Puerto Rican human rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano told the Bay Area Reporter. "If I'm a traveler and I see that Puerto Rico is the epicenter of anti-trans violence, why would I want to come there if the government isn't doing anything to keep me safe?" Yet, he still desires for Puerto Rico to welcome LGBTQ travelers. "I would love for Puerto Rico to not only welcome everyone [including] our LGBTQ+ people and gender-variant and nonbinary people, but we need to make it safe for people living here," Serrano, 47, said.⁠ ⁠ Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠ ??✈️?️‍?⁠ ?️: Heather Cassell @BayAreaReporter⁠ ?: Discover Puerto Rico

This year marks a new beginning for Puerto Rico's LGBTQ community following the deadliest year for transgender people in the U.S. territory in 2020. LGBTQ Puerto Ricans are cautiously optimistic that the Caribbean Island is potentially turning a corner with two separate campaigns. Puerto Rico's new governor, Pedro Pierluisi, declared a state of emergency at the beginning of the year, and established a new task force focused on gender-based violence. Then in the fall, Discover Puerto Rico announced its new LGBTQ tourism campaign, "Live Out," that places transgender and gender-variant travelers front and center. "We have an epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence in Puerto Rico, which last year Puerto Rico was the epicenter of anti-trans violence," gay Puerto Rican human rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano told the Bay Area Reporter. "If I'm a traveler and I see that Puerto Rico is the epicenter of anti-trans violence, why would I want to come there if the government isn't doing anything to keep me safe?" Yet, he still desires for Puerto Rico to welcome LGBTQ travelers. "I would love for Puerto Rico to not only welcome everyone [including] our LGBTQ+ people and gender-variant and nonbinary people, but we need to make it safe for people living here," Serrano, 47, said.⁠
⁠
Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠
??✈️?️‍?⁠
?️: Heather Cassell @BayAreaReporter⁠
?: Discover Puerto Rico