News
Evan Wolfson habla sobre libertad religiosa, matrimonio igualitario
Fundador de Freedom to Marry viajó a Costa Rica este mes
Evan Wolfson, el fundador de Freedom to Marry, asistió este mes a un congreso en Costa Rica enfocado en matrimonio igualitario en América Latina. (Foto del Washington Blade por Michael Key)
Nota del editor: Esta nota fue traducida al español por Alejandro Piercy.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — El fundador de Freedom to Marry dice que los esfuerzos de impulsar medidas y litigios anti-LGBT basados en la libertad religiosa no son “nada nuevos.”
“Es parte del patrón clásico del avance de los derechos civiles en la historia americana,” Evan Wolfson le dijo al Washington Blade el 10 de noviembre durante una entrevista en San José, la capital de Costa Rica. “Los opositores a la igualdad y la inclusión tratan de bloquear los avances del bloque de los derechos civiles y cuando fallan en bloquearlos, tratan de subvertirlos usando esta táctica de la supuesta libertad religiosa. Esto no es nada nuevo.”
“Las personas gays no son las primeras en experimentar esto,” agregó. “Las personas trans no son las primeras en experimentar esto. Todavía lo vemos aquí mismo con las mujeres en un esfuerzo para corroer el acceso a los derechos reproductivos en el cuidado de la salud.”
Wolfson habló con el Blade menos de un mes antes que la Corte Suprema (de los EEUU) tuviera programado escuchar los argumentos orales en un caso sobre si la Primera Enmienda le permite a Masterpiece Cakeshop en Colorado rehusarse a hornear pasteles de boda para parejas entre personas del mismo sexo, en razón de sus creencias religiosas.
El mes pasado, el Fiscal General de EEUU Jeff Sessions emitió una directriz general que dice que individuos y empresas pueden actuar con base en su libertad religiosa sin miedo a represalias del gobierno.
La ley de libertad religiosa de Misisipí que cuyos críticos aseguran que permite discriminación en contra de personas LGBT en el estado entró en vigor el mes pasado. Una orden ejecutiva sobre libertad religiosa que el presidente Trump firmó en mayo no contenía ninguna referencia LGBT específica.
“Es parte de una lucha en la cual progresamos, pero la oposición no nada más se derrite,” dijo Wolfson, quien ha presentado un escrito amicus en el caso Masterpiece. “Tratan de subvertirlo y esta es una técnica muy, muy común que utilizan.”
“La libertad religiosa es un escudo, no una espada,” agregó. “La libertad religiosa pretende proteger derechos muy importantes de las personas de libertad de culto, de orar y hablar como elijan y tener sus propias canciones dentro de sus templos, pero no es una espada para llevar al mercado y decir quiero todos los beneficios de participar en la esfera pública, pero no voy a seguir la ley, quiero una licencia para discriminar y sí, soy una empresa que pone un rótulo afuera que dice que está abierta al público, pero no voy a estar abierta al público.”
Wolfson le dijo al Blade que las personas y las cortes de Estados Unidos “han rechazado” este argumento “una y otra vez.”
“Aunque estamos en una especie de momento político disfuncional donde la oposición es más feroz de lo que en realidad es representativo del pueblo estadounidense, aún así estoy confiado que vamos a hacer retroceder estos ataques,” dijo. “No vamos a ganar todas las batallas, pero sí vamos a hacer retroceder estos ataques porque el pueblo estadounidense comprende esto como una gran amenaza a la democracia, ya que si cada quien se vuelve ley en sí mismo y puede simplemente decir ‘no quiero’ como defensa contra una ley sobre derechos civiles, abre una caja de pandora que asesta perjuicio real en personas reales, pero que además socava el estado de derecho y la cohesión misma de nuestra democracia y por todas estas razones creo que venceremos.”
‘Tenemos que aprender mutuamente’
Wolfson conversó con el Blade en el Congreso de Matrimonio Civil Igualitario, el cual fue el primero en su especie en América Latina y que estuvo enfocado exclusivamente en el derecho al matrimonio para parejas entre personas del mismo sexo.
Herman Duarte de Fundación Igualitos, un grupo de defensores del matrimonio igualitario basado en Costa Rica, organizó la conferencia junto con HduarteLex, su firma legal la cual lucha en contra de la discriminación por orientación sexual. Dos grupos de abogacía costarricenses — Acceder y Asociación Costarricense de Derecho Internacional — fueron coanfitriones del evento que atrajo más de 100 activistas provenientes de todo hemisferio occidental.
“Estamos aquí para aprender mutuamente,” dijo Wolfson.
En 2015 Wolfson presentó un testimonio a favor de los derechos maritales de las parejas entre personas del mismo sexo ante la Corte Constitucional de Colombia.
Ha presentado un escrito ante la Corte Suprema de Panamá a favor de la parte actora en un caso de matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo. Wolfson además trabaja con dos grupos de abogacía LGBT Chilenos — Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual y Fundación Iguales — que trabajan para impulsar el asunto en el país.
“En ninguno de estos países … lo estoy manejando todo”, le dijo al Blade. Estoy aconsejando y compartiendo y tratando de ayudar y alentar y darle a las personas la experiencia y los elementos que puedan adoptar.”
En 2016, Wolfson se reunió con defensores en Cuba que promueven el derecho al matrimonio para parejas entre personas del mismo sexo en el país. También se ha reunido con activistas, dirigentes de empresas y oficiales de gobierno en Suiza, Austria, Alemania, Japón, Sudáfrica y otros países desde el 2015 cuando la Corte Suprema de los EEUU emitió su sentencia hito en el caso Obergefell.
Wolfson señaló que 1,100 millones de personas al rededor del mundo habitan en jurisdicciones donde parejas entre personas del mismo sexo pueden casarse legalmente. Conversó con el Blade a menos de dos semanas antes que oficiales australianos anunciaran que la mayoría de votantes que participaron de un plebiscito no vinculante sobre si los gays y lesbianas deberían poder casarse dijo que “sí.”
“Esto refuta los alegatos de la oposición de que cosas malas van a suceder,” dijo Wolfson, refiriéndose al creciente número de jurisdicciones que permiten el matrimonio igualitario. “Esto es parte importante del caso que tenemos que presentarle a la corte de la opinión pública, así como en las cortes de derecho en estos países. Pero también suministra esta montaña de experiencia y evidencia que puede traerse a las discusiones, ya sea con el público o con quienes toman las decisiones. Esta no es una nueva pregunta.”
“No estamos en los Estados Unidos en 1972. Estamos en Costa Rica en 2017,” señalando que el 70 por ciento de la población total de América Latina viven en jurisdicciones que han extendido el derecho al matrimonio para las parejas entre personas del mismo sexo. “Entonces, ¿Por qué no deberían tener los pueblos de Costa Rica, o del Perú, o Panamá o sigue la lista lo que todos sus hermanos y hermanas a través del continente — o alrededor del mundo — ya tienen.”
Congress
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
Lawmakers spoke outside US Capitol on Wednesday
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) announced the reintroduction of a “Trans Bill of Rights” on Wednesday.
Despite chilling winds and snow on the ground, transgender activists, LGBTQ rights advocates, and trans-supporting lawmakers gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to announce the reintroduction of the “Transgender Bill of Rights” resolution to protect trans Americans, as the Trump-Vance administration continues to target LGBTQ Americans.
About 30 people gathered outside to hear from legislators and individuals impacted by recent White House policies.
“Today we say loud and clear that trans rights are human rights, and they must be protected every single day of every single year,” Markey told the crowd. “We stand together in solidarity with the trans community and with those who have too often been left behind by a system that refuses to recognize their humanity. We are here to ensure that every trans and gender-diverse person in America can live freely and safely and authentically. That’s what the Trans Bill of Rights is all about.”
Markey is leading the resolution on the Senate side, while Jayapal is pushing it forward in the House.
“With the Trans Bill of Rights, we are laying out a comprehensive vision to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people — a vision that ensures every single person has a chance to thrive,” Jayapal said. “A vision that says: you are us, you belong, and you are worthy of the same rights as everyone else. This bill supports amending the Civil Rights Act to ensure that trans people have the same rights and protections as all other Americans. It creates a level playing field where trans people no longer have to fight tooth and nail to get the same treatment as their cisgender friends.”
The resolution for House and the Senate reads:
“Recognizing that it is the duty of the federal government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights to protect and codify the rights of transgender and nonbinary people under the law and ensure their access to medical care, shelter, safety, and economic security.”
Trans Legislation Tracker, an independent research organization that collects data on anti-trans legislation from the hyper-local level to the floor of the U.S. Senate, found that in 2025, 1,022 measures were proposed across the country to restrict the rights of trans Americans — from health care removals to bathroom bans.
Markey directly called out those lawmakers for what he described as discriminatory actions taken against trans Americans who, as he pointed out, are fighting for rights that everyone else is inherently given.
“Trump and MAGA Republicans have used the power of government to spread fear and hate across our country. They have tried to ban lifesaving and medically necessary health care, strip anti-discrimination protections, and turn trans lives into political talking points for their benefit. Well, we have a message for them: we are louder, we are stronger, and we are not going anywhere. We’re in this fight for the long term,” the Massachusetts senator said.
Jacobs, a co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force within the Congressional Equality Caucus, also spoke at the event.
“Trans Americans are being targeted just for being who they are — by laws and court decisions that try to erase them from classrooms, from courts and fields, from health care and public life. These attacks aren’t about safety or fairness,” Jacobs said. “They’re about hatred and instilling fear. And we know how quickly fear can warp into suspicion and violence with deadly consequences.”
In addition to lawmakers, trans Americans and supporters spoke.
Olivia Hunt from Advocates for Trans Equality, LaLa Zannell from the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as three additional people who have been actively harmed by the ongoing wave of anti-trans legislation, shared their stories.
Hunt emphasized the staggeringly high number of anti-trans bills being introduced in statehouses across the country — despite trans adults making up less than 1 percent of the population, according to the Williams Institute’s 2025 data.
“Since 2020, thousands of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in statehouses across the country,” Hunt said. “It’s a veritable tidal wave of political bullying disguised as legislation, and most of these bills specifically target transgender and nonbinary people — especially trans youth and their families. This is a moment that demands action.”
Hunt, who is trans, helps trans people in D.C. obtain legal documents that match their gender identity — something the Trump-Vance administration has stopped.
“Trans youth deserve to be protected by their government. They shouldn’t have to be protected from their government,” she said. “It’s long past time that our federal laws reflect and protect the reality and dignity of all people. Trans people have always existed — we are your neighbors, your family members, your community — and we belong.”
Zannell, who spoke proudly about her trans identity, explained why the bill is necessary and how it would protect trans people in all facets of their lives.
“I stand here as an unapologetic Black trans woman who has led this movement for over a decade to get us to moments like this. The reintroduction of the Trans Bill of Rights will aim to protect access to gender-affirming care, prevent discrimination in housing and public spaces, and preserve legal recognition,” Zannell said. “My hope is that this affirms our government’s duty to protect all trans and nonbinary people.”
The Transgender Bill of Rights is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
In the U.S. House of Representatives, the resolution is led by Jayapal, co-led by Jacobs and U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), with nearly 100 other representatives signing on as co-sponsors.
“To all trans people across the United States: you are seen, you are valued, and you are loved,” said Markey. “And I want you to know there are people who will fight for you every single day on the floor of the House and Senate to win those rights for you.”
Senegal
A dozen Senegalese men arrested for ‘unnatural acts’
Popular journalist and musician among those taken into custody
Senegalese police have charged a dozen men with committing “unnatural acts.”
The New York Times reported Pape Cheikh Diallo, a popular television reporter, and Djiby Dramé, a musician, are among the men who authorities arrested. They appeared in court in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday.
Le Soleil, a Senegalese newspaper, reported authorities arrested the men on Feb. 6 “for intentional transmission of HIV, unnatural acts, criminal conspiracy, and endangering others.” The newspaper further notes the men have been placed in “pre-trial detention.”
Senegal is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.
Police in Kaolack, a town that is roughly 135 miles southeast of Dakar, in 2015 arrested 11 people who allegedly engaged in same-sex sexual acts during “a celebration of a gay marriage.” The National Assembly in 2021 rejected a bill that would have further criminalized homosexuality in the country.
Local
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
Rayceen Pendarvis to moderate Dupont Underground panel on Sunday
LGBTQ groups in D.C. and elsewhere plan to use Black History Month as an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate Black lives and experiences.
Team Rayceen Productions has no specific events planned, but co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis will attend many functions around D.C. this month.
Pendarvis, a longtime voice in the LGBTQ community in D.C. will be moderating a panel at Dupont Underground on Sunday. The event, “Every (Body) Wants to Be a Showgirl,” will feature art from Black burlesque artists from around the country. Pendarvis on Feb. 23 will attend the showing of multimedia play at the Lincoln Theatre that commemorates the life of James Baldwin.
Equality Virginia plans to prioritize Black voices through a weekly online series, and community-based story telling. The online digital series will center Black LGBTQ voices, specifically trailblazers and activists, and contemporary Black queer and transgender people.
Narissa Rahaman, Equality Virginia’s executive director, stressed the importance of the Black queer community to the overall Pride movement, and said “Equality Virginia is proud to center those voices in our work this month and beyond.”
The Capital Pride Alliance, which hosts Pride events in D.C., has an alliance with the Center for Black Equity, which brings Black Pride to D.C. over Memorial Day weekend. The National LGBTQ Task Force has no specific Black History Month events planned, but plans to participate in online collaborations.
Cathy Renna, the Task Force’s director of communications, told the Washington Blade the organization remains committed to uplifting Black voices. “Our priority is keeping this at the forefront everyday,” she said.
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center is also hosting a series of Black History Month events.
The D.C. Public Library earlier this year launched “Freedom and Resistance,” an exhibition that celebrates Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. It will remain on display until the middle of March at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W.
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
A dozen Senegalese men arrested for ‘unnatural acts’
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible Queer Singles
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
