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Diversity
First Diversity Summit in Peru

A commitment to dialogue, academia, and inclusion
3.0 Minutes
SUMMIT 1
© FNF Andean Countries

Conferences and Dialogues in Academia and Activism to Strengthen LGBTIQ+ Rights

Organized by the Instituto Pro Libertad (IPL) with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for the Andean Countries (FNF), the event gathered university students, professionals, activists, and community leaders committed to promoting LGBTIQ+ rights. The opening remarks were delivered by Niome Hüneke-Brown, FNF Director for the Andean Countries; Yesenia Álvarez, IPL President; and Diego Ato, IPL Project Director. Álvarez explained that the idea for the summit emerged after research showed how conferences and dialogue spaces in academic and activist contexts strengthened the advancement of LGBTIQ+ rights in the United States. She also highlighted that, in recent years, IPL’s political training programs revealed a growing interest in broad discussions on the rights of this population.

Key Dialogues on LGBTIQ+ Challenges

After the inauguration, a panel was held on the main challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ people in Peru, featuring distinguished speakers:

  • Aura Arbulú, Executive Director of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY).

  • Manuel Siccha, LGBTI Political Advocacy Coordinator at Empoderadxs.

  • María Cecilia Villegas, CEO of Conscious Capitalism Peru.

  • Mabel Aguilar, representative of the Association of Homoparental Families.

  • Jorge Chávez, LGBTIQ+ activist and former Executive Director of the Homosexual Movement of Lima.

The panel addressed the absence of legislation for same-sex unions, violence against the LGBTIQ+ community—particularly against trans people—and barriers to accessing healthcare, including shortages of antiretrovirals for people living with HIV. It also examined the specific challenges faced by communities outside Lima.

Featured Presentations: Inclusive Communication, Research, and Economic Contributions

The summit included prominent national and international speakers.

  • Lucas Chávez-Alcorta (Peru), lecturer in leadership, social and emotional intelligence, and marketing, shared strategies to communicate messages that foster diversity and inclusion. He stressed the power of advertising to convey messages, citing global campaigns that championed LGBTIQ+ rights.

  • Miguel Fuentes (Mexico), researcher at the Dorr Legg Chair and research analyst at the Williams Institute, presented findings on the relationship between social acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people and legal inclusion. His analysis showed that legal protections can, in some countries, precede and promote social acceptance.

  • Maysa Akbar, Chief Diversity Officer at the American Psychological Association (APA), discussed the institution’s contributions to advancing LGBTIQ+ rights in the United States, presenting resources that could support advocacy.

  • Franco Fuica, trans activist and member of the Association Organizando Trans Diversidades (OTD), gave an introductory lecture on the binary gender system, covering concepts such as biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and statistics on violence against trans people.

The program also explored the economic contributions of LGBTIQ+ communities and the development of LGBTIQ+ chambers of commerce worldwide. A dialogue featured Erasmo Sánchez, Vice President of the Global Division of the U.S. LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); Fernando Alonso Pérez-Chao, Director of the Global Program at Open for Business in Geneva; and Jennifer Milla, co-founder of Conscious Capitalism Peru.

On the economic front, Alfredo Flores, Director of the think tank Ciudadanía sin Fronteras, delivered the lecture “Diversity and Its Impact on Labor Productivity.”

The summit also highlighted the 2003 report “Situation of Homoparental Families in Peru” by the Association of Homoparental Families in collaboration with IPSOS Peru, and the book “The Family in Dispute”, published by IPL and FNF Andean Countries. These were presented by Mabel Aguilar, Yesenia Álvarez, and Diego Ato. Additionally, Jenny Vento, Human Rights specialist, and Percy Mayta-Tristán, Director of Project Management and Research Promotion at Universidad Científica del Sur, participated in the dialogue “Public Support for LGBTIQ+ Rights.”

Workshops, Dialogue, and Commitments

The summit also allowed fellows to propose sessions. Two selected participants led simultaneous discussions: Euner Kajekui, young Awajún leader, shared his life story as an Indigenous LGBTIQ+ activist; while Jaquelin Nina Vincha, regional coordinator of ODS Peru in Tacna and member of the Tacna Youth Parliament, presented “Citizenship and Inclusive Education for LGBTIQ+ Rights.”

Two simultaneous workshops were also held: “The Value of My Purpose”, led by pedagogy and capacity-building specialist Manuel Beltroy; and “Intertwining Lives: Using Narrative Empathy to Research Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation”, led by academic and public policy expert Andrés Ricaurte.

Participants engaged in networking, discussed priorities and demands in favor of LGBTIQ+ people in Peru, and, at the closing session, presented their conclusions and commitments. They expressed gratitude for the summit and their eagerness to replicate the knowledge gained.