In addition to targeting the LGBTQ+ community, Guatemalan lawmakers have increased prison sentences for women who have abortions, bucking a recent trend in Latin America toward expanding access to the procedures. As some of Latin America's largest countries — Mexico, Argentina, Colombia — have expanded abortion access in the past two years, there remain countries where conservative religious trends continue to hold sway. Late Tuesday — International Women's Day — Guatemala's Congress passed a "Protection of Life and Family" law that also targeted the LGBTQ community. On Wednesday, which Guatemala's Congress declared "Life and Family Day," President Alejandro Giammattei said in a speech at the National Palace, "This event is an invitation to unite as Guatemalans to protect life from conception until natural death." The Guatemala legislation also explicitly prohibited same-sex marriage — which was already effectively illegal — and banned schools from teaching anything that could "deviate (a child's) identity according to their birth gender." Lawmaker Armando Castillo, an ally of Giammattei's administration, defended the legislation, saying that the only thing it does is protect "heterosexual people who have no interest in diversity." But opposition lawmaker Lucrecia Hernández warned her colleagues that the "the law stigmatizes people, discriminates and foments intolerance and hate speech and crimes."⁠ ⁠ Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠ ????️‍?⁠ ?: Getty

In addition to targeting the LGBTQ+ community, Guatemalan lawmakers have increased prison sentences for women who have abortions, bucking a recent trend in Latin America toward expanding access to the procedures. As some of Latin America's largest countries — Mexico, Argentina, Colombia — have expanded abortion access in the past two years, there remain countries where conservative religious trends continue to hold sway. Late Tuesday — International Women's Day — Guatemala's Congress passed a "Protection of Life and Family" law that also targeted the LGBTQ community. On Wednesday, which Guatemala's Congress declared "Life and Family Day," President Alejandro Giammattei said in a speech at the National Palace, "This event is an invitation to unite as Guatemalans to protect life from conception until natural death." The Guatemala legislation also explicitly prohibited same-sex marriage — which was already effectively illegal — and banned schools from teaching anything that could "deviate (a child's) identity according to their birth gender." Lawmaker Armando Castillo, an ally of Giammattei's administration, defended the legislation, saying that the only thing it does is protect "heterosexual people who have no interest in diversity." But opposition lawmaker Lucrecia Hernández warned her colleagues that the "the law stigmatizes people, discriminates and foments intolerance and hate speech and crimes."⁠
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Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠
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?: Getty