“CURES THAT KILL”
“A life without discrimination is a basic human right”
International Appeal summary
May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, marks the anniversary of the groundbreaking day in 1990 when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially accepted Homosexuality as a natural variation of human sexuality.
Since then, the international scientific community opposes all approaches, which regard homosexuality as an illness that should be “cured”.
Medical and political consensus is also growing around the world to adopt the same approach towards Transgenderism.
Opposing this, some conservative voices still preach and promote so-called “reparative therapies”, often supported by religious currents and sometimes even by public institutions.
These “therapies” are not only ineffective; by reinforcing feelings of guilt and low self-esteem, they can increase psychological suffering, which in some extreme cases can drive individuals to feel suicidal. Furthermore, by spreading homophobia and transphobia, they condone discriminations, attacks and murders.
The Latin America and the Caribbean wide campaign "CURES THAT KILL" opposes any so-called therapies which aim to “cure” either homosexuality or transgenderism.
- We DEMAND that governments adhere to the principle of secularism in Latin American and Caribbean countries and take concrete measures to combat "reparative" practices targeting homosexuality and transgenderism, including the disruption of any public funding to institutions or individuals that have not clearly distanced themselves from such practices .
- WE DEMAND that the national or local public health systems exclude all practitioners who practice or promote "reparative" approaches.
- WE URGE private donors to make the explicit opposition to "reparative" therapy a criterion for approval of grants.
- WE REQUEST that the religious authorities strongly condemn the use of discourses that suggest and / or promote “reparative” processes, and instead promote acceptance of sexual and gender diversity as variables of human nature.
Read the full appeal and sign the petition
Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, announced the appointment of Carina Vance Mafla, who is openly gay, as Ecuador’s new health minister.
The American-born activist hit the ground running, with an announcement that the health ministry will be working closely with lesbian rights group Fundacion Causana, and other civil rights groups, to shut down the remaining religious clinics which promise to ‘cure’ lesbians.
Fundacion Causana, based in Quito, Ecuador, released a statement on the success (...) 
Ecuador was the first country in 2008 to include in its constitution sexual orientation as one of the explicit forbidden grounds for discrimination.
In line with this position, the government ordered on August 16th the closure of 30 clinics which were offering to ’cure’ homosexuality. The Government’s decision was prompted by heavy advocacy from victims of the clinics so-called ’treatments’ and from sexual rights organisations.
According to syndicated news agency EFE, as many as 200 similar (...) 
With a march through the streets of Lima, from Plaza Francia to the "Eye that Cries" -memorial to the victims of violence during the civil war (1980-2000),- fifty LGBT rights activists remembered victims of hate crimes and celebrated the National Day of Action against Violence and Hate Crimes based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
To the beat of a band that played music, according to the Andean tradition for burials, the activists marchedcarrying banners with the slogan "Not to (...) 
A vigil at the Esplanade of the Ministries, in Brasília, celebrated last May 17th the International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia.
Giant photos projected against one of the National Library walls reminded the urgent necessity to approve the bill that makes homophobia a crime similar to racism.
The issue for this year’s campaign was "Cures That Kill". According to the campaign coordinator in Latin America, Jandira Queiroz, the therapies that propose the cures to (...) 
Celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, trans activists and INADI (National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism) of Argentina presented on May 17th the Administrative Resolution Nr. 60/14 of the Secretary of Justice of Tucuman province about physical appearance.
The Resolution states that from May 17th, 2011 the civil registration offices of Tucumán can provide shifts for changing the photo of civil identity documents to trans people, (...) 
