Current Issues

This morning a very important bill that benefits transgender people over 14 years old in our country was signed by the president. This new law allows transgender citizens to legally change their name and assigned gender on official records and finally see their identity respected by our government. It is huge news and I'm very happy for those who will be benefited by this measure! 

It is important to point out that even if it was Sebastian Piñera who signed this bill, this isn't his doing. In fact, this bill was introduced in Congress 5 years ago under Michelle Bachelet's government and suffered intense criticism by Chile's most conservative politicians and also the general public, which, sadly, are very trans-phobic in our country. This law is the work of LGBT groups and Bachelet who made it priority during her time as president. 

But regardless of my feelings about it, this law has incredible importance especially considering how conservative our country has been throughout its history. I hope this is a step forward and I hope that this helps the people in Chile to learn and embrace our differences instead of letting them divide us. And, I also hope people under 14 years old will be considered in the future. For us 14 years might not seem much, but for someone living as if they’re in the wrong body, it feels like centuries.