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‘La Biblia vuelve al Palacio’

Presidenta interina de Bolivia es antiaborto y anti-LGBTQ

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La presidenta interina de Bolivia Jeanine Áñez (Photo public domain)

LA PAZ, Bolivia — El primer acto público de Jeanine Áñez tras ser declarada presidenta interina de Bolivia fue llegar hasta el Palacio Quemado (la casa de gobierno boliviano) en La Paz levantando una Biblia. Al mismo tiempo que gritaba eufóricamente “la Biblia vuelve a Palacio”, luego de que los militares le entregaran la banda presidencial tras forzar la dimisión del expresidente Evo Morales, quién posteriormente recibió asilo político en México. “Gloria a Dios” le respondían sus seguidores mientras entraba al lugar.

“Esta Biblia es muy significativa para nosotros. Nuestra fuerza es Dios, el poder es Dios, que Dios nos bendiga queridos hermanos bolivianos”, aseguró más tarde Áñez desde un balcón del Palacio. 

La senadora opositora y segunda vicepresidenta del Senado asumió para sorpresa de muchos tras varias renuncias de políticos oficialistas en plena crisis política y social generada por los cuestionados comicios del 20 de octubre pasado. Áñez se ha perfilado como una de las políticas más conservadoras de Bolivia, en febrero de este año participó como exponente en el Congreso Iberoamericano por la Vida y la Familia en Panamá y en diferentes ocasiones se ha mostrado como una férrea opositora a la población LGBTQ, migrantes, mujeres (en especial antiaborto) e indígenas de su país. 

Desde que se autoproclamó como jefa de Estado iniciaron protestas en para exigir su salida del poder. En todos los discursos que hasta ahora ha realizado la mandataria interina se hicieron referencias a la religión y en la posesión del nuevo gabinete ministerial nueve de las 11 nuevas autoridades hicieron la señal de la cruz con la mano derecha. Nada parecido al combativo puño izquierdo levantado que predominó entre los diferentes ministros y viceministros que acompañaron a Morales.

“Juran por Dios, por la patria y por la Constitución Política del Estado”, dijo la nueva presidenta en el momento de posesionar a sus colaboradores más próximos.

Posteriormente firmó un polémico decreto para frenar las protestas en su contra.

“El personal de las Fuerzas Armadas, que participe en los operativos para el restablecimiento del orden y estabilidad pública, estará exento de responsabilidad penal cuando en cumplimiento de sus funciones constitucionales, actúen en legítima defensa o Estado de necesidad”, señala el decreto 4078.

“Es un decreto supremo que exonera a todos los militares que en función de defensa del estado, así lo llaman, puedan asesinar a las personas, eso es una orden a matar, eso es dictadura, no hay otra figura al respecto”, explicó al Washington Blade, David Aruquipa, un histórico activista LGBTQ en Bolivia.


La medida alertó a la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) condenando “el uso desproporcionado de la fuerza militar y policial”.

“El Estado tiene el deber de respetar el derecho humano a la protesta pacífica”, indicó la entidad. Mientras que la Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, Michelle Bachelet, señaló que “la represión puede recrudecer la situación”.



Bachelet aseveró a través de un comunicado que “urge a las autoridades a garantizar que las fuerzas de seguridad cumplan con las normas y estándares internacionales en materia de uso de la fuerza, así como a asegurar el derecho a la vida y a la integridad física de las personas que protestan”. 

Respecto al pronunciamiento de Bachelet, Aruquipa agregó que “esta señora Áñez con todo su gabinete está respaldado la violencia y las muertes. Todo esto ha generado una convulsión social, han cercado y bloqueado los caminos; las comunidades indígenas y los movimientos sociales están marchando en la ciudad de La Paz y el resto del país, esto va a desbordar en una situación que va a sumar más muertes de este gobierno de facto”.

Bolivia es uno de los pocos países del mundo que protege y sanciona la discriminación por orientación sexual e identidad de género en su Constitución. En octubre de 2011, mediante Decreto Supremo se declaró oficialmente la conmemoración del IDAHOBiT y en 2016 se promulgó una Ley de Identidad de Género que tuvo más de ocho años de debate legislativo y ejecutivo. Estos y otros avances corren peligro con Áñez en el poder. 

“Estoy semiclandestina esperando una solicitud de asilo político para salir del país, estoy con mis maletas listas para dejar con mucho dolor mi país. He sido amenazada de muerte”, confesó al Blade, Tamara Núñez del Prado, defensora de derechos humanos y activista trans del país latinoamericano. Núñez del Prado salió del closet cuando tenía 32 años mientras se desempeñaba como asesora de Teresa Morales, entonces ministra de Desarrollo y Economía en otra era de Morales.

La transición de Tamara Núñez del Prado al interior del gobierno de Evo Morales sirvió para sensibilizar a la clase política y sociedad boliviana. (Foto cedida al Washington Blade)

Núñez del Prado advirtió al Blade que “tenemos una presidenta que es parte de las plataformas que están a favor de la familia original, que está en contra de todas las políticas LGBTI, ella sostiene que existe una ideología de género, es antiaborto”.

“Inclusive dijo que iba a pedir la derogación de varias normativas que están en contra de Dios y claramente la ley de identidad de género es una de ellas”, subrayó Núñez del Prado.

Para Núñez del Prado en Bolivia hubo un golpe de estado “cuando los altos mandos policiales y militares le sugieren renunciar al Presidente, hay un vicio de nulidad que se llama violencia, los militares y policías no pueden deliberar ni debatir por ley. Entonces lo que hicieron fue intervenir en la política interna de Bolivia y tomar partido por un grupo”. 

“Si están quemando las casas de tus ministros, si están secuestrando a los familiares de tus ministros para poder desmovilizar y frenar al poder, significa que es un golpe de estado, porque el Evo les tuvo que decir renuncien para cuidar sus casas, sus vidas y sus familias, al dejarlo solo, eso se llama un golpe de estado”, aseguró al Blade. 

Rayza Torriani, excandidata a diputada y actual directora ejecutiva de gestión de proyectos para Trébol, una organización LGBTQ boliviana, comentó al Blade que “hoy podemos ir viendo con mucho miedo la situación política del país, porque está suscitando demasiada violencia, muerte, un gobierno interino que está gobernando con la primicia de la Biblia y la religión que la impone como primer eje puesto, eso nos puso en una situación de alarma porque sabemos que lamentablemente cuando se habla de religión, hablamos de retrocesos que derivan en violaciones a los derechos humanos, esta situación nos preocupa muchísimo”.

Rayza Torriani es una de las impulsoras de la Ley de Identidad de Género en su país. (Fotografía cedida al Blade)

Antes de que Áñez llegará a Palacio, Torriani había participado en las protestas que exigían la renuncia de Morales a la presidencia. Respecto a eso dijo al Blade que “yo salí a las calles a pedir la no reelección de el Evo, por la renovación de nuevos liderazgos para mi país, nunca pensé que esto terminaría con la Biblia gobernado Bolivia”. Torriani contó al Blade que “estoy esperando la confirmación de una reunión con la presidenta interina para dialogar con ella, pedir el cese de la violencia y educarla. Esa es mi forma de hacer activismo”.

Hasta el momento, ninguna organización LGBTQ de Bolivia se ha manifestado sobre la situación.

“Me preocupa que no haya un pronunciamiento público de las organizaciones y redes nacionales, las organizaciones articuladas deberían manifestarse sobre esta situation, entiendo que hay diferencias pero es importante dar una muestra sobre el impacto que está generando todo esto en los derechos nuestra población”, lamentó Aruquipa.

David Aruquipa conversó con el Washington Blade desde Colombia donde es encuentra participando de un encuentro que congregará a más de 300 activistas LGBTQ de América Latina y el Caribe. (Fotografía desde Bogotá)

“Es un momento para que el movimiento LGBTI se rearticule y nos repensemos como enfrentar esta situación, y no me cabe duda que tenemos las capacidades para hacerlo y así no permitir que la derecha fascista retome nuevamente el gobierno, porque lo que está pasando es una muestra de lo que puede pasar más adelante en las elecciones”, concluyó Aruquipa.

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U.S. Supreme Court

Nine trans activists arrested outside Supreme Court

Gender Liberation Movement organized demonstration against Skrmetti ruling

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Protest sign outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 18, 2025. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

On Friday afternoon, nine transgender organizers and allies were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court for blocking the street and protesting the recent U.S. v. Skrmetti ruling.

The ruling, decided 6-3 by the conservative majority on Wednesday, upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The decision will allow states to pass laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and further minimizes bodily autonomy.

The nine arrested were part of a larger group of more than 30 protesters wearing colors of the trans Pride flag— pink, blue, and white, — standing outside of the nation’s highest court. Organizers unfurled large cloths in pink, blue, and white, shared personal testimonies about how their gender-affirming care was a matter of life and death, released pink and blue smoke, and saw nine trans participants take their hormone replacement therapy.

The protest was led by the Gender Liberation Movement, an organization that “builds direct action, media, and policy interventions centering bodily autonomy, self-determination, the pursuit of fulfillment, and collectivism in the face of gender-based sociopolitical threats.” Among the nine arrested was GLM co-founder Raquel Willis.

Before being arrested, Willis spoke to multiple media outlets, explaining that this decision was an overreach of power by the Supreme Court.

“Gender-affirming care is sacred, powerful, and transformative. With this ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, we see just how ignorant the Supreme Court is of the experiences of trans youth and their affirming families,” said Willis. “Everyone deserves the right to holistic healthcare, and trans youth are no different. We will continue to fight for their bodily autonomy, dignity, and self-determination just like previous generations. No court, no law, no government gave us our power, and none can take it away.”

GLM co-founder Eliel Cruz also spoke to media outlets about the Skrmetti ruling, calling it “a historical moment of fascist attacks,” and encouraged the LGBTQ community to “organize and fight back.”

“As a cisgender man, I stand in solidarity with the trans community during these escalating attacks on their safety, well-being, right to exist in this world, and ability to live a future free of violence,” Cruz said. “I’m enraged at the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a ban on gender-affirming care for youth. My heart hurts for the families and young people who this will negatively impact and harm.”

The Washington Blade reached out to Capitol Police for comment.

A spokesperson said the nine activists were arrested for violating D.C. Code §22-1307 — “Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding” — on First Street, N.E., after receiving three warnings.

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District of Columbia

Norton reintroduces bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ jurors in D.C. Superior Court

Congresswoman notes Congress controls local court system

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D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Friday, June 20, reintroduced her bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ D.C. residents in the process for selecting people to serve as jurors in D.C. Superior Court.

“The bill would clarify that D.C. residents may not be excluded or disqualified from jury service in the local D.C. trial court, the D.C. Superior Court, based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Norton said in a statement.

“Specifically, this bill would clarify that the term ‘sex,’ which is a protected class under the nondiscrimination law that applies to jurors in the D.C. Superior Court includes sexual orientation and gender identity,” Norton said.

She points out in her statement that under the D.C. Home Rule Act approved by Congress that created D.C.’s local government, including an elected mayor and City Council, the federal government retained control over the local court system.

“Therefore, until D.C. is given authority to amend Title 11 of the D.C. Code, which one of my bills would do, an act of Congress is required to clarify that LGBTQ+ jurors in the D.C. Superior Court are protected from discrimination,” according to her statement.

A spokesperson for Norton couldn’t immediately be reached to determine whether Norton is aware of specific instances where residents were denied jury service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Online records of congressional action on Norton’s juror nondiscrimination bill show she had introduced it in 2019, 2021, and 2023, when it died in committee each year, except for the 117th Congress in 2022, when it was approved by a committee but died in the full House.

“During Pride month we are reminded of the many contributions of the LGBTQ+ community,” Norton said in her June 20 statement. “Nobody, including D.C. jurors, should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and D.C. juries should not be deprived of the service of LGBTQ residents,” she added.

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South Sudan

The forgotten struggle: LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers in South Sudan

June 20 is World Refugee Day

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U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael Adler visits the Gorom Refugee Settlement on Oct. 25, 2023. The camp's LGBTQ residents remain marginalized. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan)

As the world prepares to mark World Refugee Day on June 20, discussions will echo across continents about war, displacement, and humanitarian assistance. But there is one story that is often left out — a story of a people who are doubly displaced, constantly under threat, and too often excluded from protection programs. We are the LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers living in South Sudan, particularly in Gorom Refugee Settlement, and our daily struggle for survival continues in silence, far from global headlines and political promises.

We are refugees who fled our homes in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Sudan — countries where being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer means being hunted by the state, persecuted by society, and disowned by our own families. Many of us first found temporary safety in Kenya, only to be forced to flee once more as hostility and violence found us even there. We ended up in South Sudan, believing it might be safer. But we were wrong.

What we have experienced is a relentless cycle of flight and fear. We are tired of running, tired of hiding, and tired of being treated like we do not exist.

Fleeing persecution, only to face more

The reasons we fled our home countries are all rooted in systemic hate: we were accused of witchcraft, imprisoned for who we love, subjected to forced “conversions” or exorcisms, and physically assaulted by family members and neighbors alike.

Lesbian women in Uganda and Rwanda were forced into marriages with men, some even raped by their own relatives to “cure” them. Gay men in Burundi and Congo were arrested, tortured, and publicly humiliated. Transgender individuals in Ethiopia were stripped of all dignity, mocked in the streets, denied medical treatment, and in some cases beaten to the point of unconsciousness. Bisexual youth were disowned and kicked out of their homes. And queer children — or children simply perceived as different — were molested, assaulted, or abandoned.

We thought Kenya might provide refuge. For a while, it did. But soon, even the refugee camps in Kenya became unsafe. Attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals increased. Some of us were sexually assaulted inside UNHCR facilities. Local authorities turned a blind eye. The Kenyan government ultimately declared it would no longer support resettlement for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. And so, once again, we fled.

This time, we crossed into South Sudan. And again, we hoped for safety. But at Gorom Refugee Settlement, we found yet another kind of danger — one that is quieter, colder, and just as cruel.

What life looks like in Gorom: constant threat and no protection

At Gorom, we face daily verbal abuse, physical violence, economic isolation, and state indifference. LGBTQ+ refugees are attacked by fellow refugees and members of the local host community. In some cases, we are targeted by our own block leaders, who refuse to distribute food or health services if they suspect we are queer. In clinics, trans women are mocked, told they are “possessed,” and denied even basic medical care. Those of us living with HIV face layers of stigma — our sexual orientation is blamed for our condition, and we are often left without access to lifesaving medication.

Safe housing for LGBTQ+ refugees does not exist in Gorom. Couples are forced to pretend to be siblings or risk being separated — or worse. One gay couple was recently threatened by men in their block who accused them of “bringing demons.” They have not slept in the same shelter since.

Lesbian sisters, sharing a small shelter to survive, told us:

“We sleep in turns at night — one keeps watch while the other rests. We’ve been threatened with rape three times. Our block leader told us to leave or act straight.”

Children of LGBTQ+ parents, or those who are gender non-conforming, are bullied at school or excluded entirely. Some are even denied meals at community kitchens — punished simply for who their parents are.

For many queer women, survival sex work becomes the only option. There is no employment, no support, and no safety. This leads to alarming rates of sexual assault and HIV infection. Yet when they seek help, they are either ignored or blamed.

And while mental health crises are rising, there is no trauma support designed for queer refugees. Many of us have attempted suicide. Some have succeeded.

We have evidence, but no urgency

In early 2024, a SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) assessment was conducted by peer human rights monitors inside Gorom. It documented the situation clearly and thoroughly.

• Many transgender individuals had been physically assaulted in the span of just three months

• Lesbians received death threats or were targeted with “corrective rape”

• LGBTQ+ persons were denied medical services

• Attempted suicide

These are not just statistics. These are names, lives, and stories. And yet, most of the reports were never acted upon. Bureaucratic delays, unclear processes, and shifting responsibilities have turned urgent threats into forgotten files. Each time we cry out for help, we are told to wait. But in our world, waiting can be fatal.

Acknowledging those who have helped; and those who must do more

We extend sincere appreciation to the Commission for Refugee Affairs of South Sudan. Since December 2023, LGBTQ+ refugees were allowed to remain in Gorom with a degree of tolerance. In a country where same-sex relationships are widely condemned, this space mattered. But the relief was short-lived.

We now face an eviction order, issued for June 20, ironically, on World Refugee Day. The government has declared that all LGBTQ+ individuals must leave the settlement. No safe relocation site has been offered. No plan for protection has been shared. Once again, we are being pushed out — not for something we did, but for who we are.

We also recognize the continued engagement of UNHCR South Sudan and some officials working on the ground. Their intent is clear. They listen to our voices, acknowledge our pain, and try to act within their mandates. But the pace of intervention is too slow. In many cases, the process of documentation, assessment, and relocation takes months. By the time help arrives, it is too late.

We also commend the advocacy of Rainbow Railroad, which has raised awareness globally about the plight of LGBTQ+ refugees. Their work has saved lives. But we need them to be faster, more connected to those of us already in danger, and more responsive to grassroots alerts from inside the camps.

If coordination, funding, and trust between grassroots advocates and major institutions could improve, we would not be burying so many of our community members. We would not have to keep writing these cries for help.

Real voices, real pain

“I was beaten because my jeans were ‘too tight.’ They said I looked like a woman. I am a woman — trans — but they made me feel like an animal,” says Daniella, 24.

“We put our names on the protection list. My partner was attacked at the water point the next day. Nobody came to help us,” says Joseph, 31.

“I am HIV-positive. The clinic nurse laughed and said I got it through sin. I haven’t gone back since. I just stay in bed now,” says Amina, 28, a lesbian mother of two.

These are not rare stories. These are everyday truths for queer refugees in South Sudan. And still, we are expected to stay silent and grateful.

Our call to the world

We are not asking for special treatment. We are demanding equal protection under the same humanitarian principles that others receive. We ask that:

• UNHCR and all partner organizations prioritize LGBTQIA+ safety in refugee camps, not as an afterthought but as a core responsibility

• Safe shelters and protection units be created for queer refugees facing internal violence

• LGBTQ+ refugees be consulted in decisions about policies, services, and resettlement programs that affect us directly

• Emergency medical and mental health services be inclusive of queer identities and trauma

• Pathways to resettlement for LGBTQ+ individuals be accelerated, especially for those in crisis.

Let this World Refugee Day mean something

To be queer in a refugee camp is to constantly fight for your life. It means being forgotten by both your country of origin and your supposed place of refuge. It means sleeping in fear, eating in shame, and living without dignity. It means being told that safety exists, but not for you.

We are tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of begging for our humanity to be acknowledged. But we are still here. We still believe that the world can listen. And we still believe that justice is possible — if only someone chooses to act.

This World Refugee Day, remember that we are not just refugees. We are LGBTQ+. We are survivors. And we deserve to live.

Abraham Junior lives in the Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan.

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