On July 21, the Arcoiris Asociacion (Rainbow Association) posted: “A work meeting was held today to assess the actions in the National Register of Persons, conducted by the Colectiva de Mujeres Trans Muñecas de Arcoiris [the Collective of Rainbow Trans Dolls], with the support of the Asociación Somos CDC and Futbo Litos.”

Somos CDC (Centre for LGBTI Development and Cooperation) also posted on Facebook: “Meeting of experiences of the process lived in the request for change of name before the national registry of trans people.”

In November 2016, the Brussels-based International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association noted in its Trans Legal Mapping Report that in Honduras it’s “not possible” to change your name and that it’s “forbidden by law to make any modification of the sex assigned in the original birth certificate.”

On June 28 of this year, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that Honduras must make systemic changes to assure the rights of transgender people including allowing trans people to legally change their name and gender.

The Guardian reports: “[The IACHR] ruled that the state must allow people to alter their gender identity on identification documents and public records.”

Vice also reported: “The adoption of rules that allow name and gender changes could have an important effect on the inclusion of trans people, including in politics. The country’s only trans candidate for political office in the last election, Rihanna Ferrera, said that she lost votes because she appeared on the ballot under her birth name.”

Reuters has noted: “The government did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling, or what its next steps would be.” The BBC adds: “It is not clear how or when [the Honduran government] will enact the court order.”

That IACHR ruling that included these provisions found the Honduran state responsible for the death of Vicky Hernandez, a 26-year-old transgender woman shot dead by security forces on the night of the June 2009 military coup.

The Guardian has reported: “[Honduras] has the world’s highest rate of murders of trans people.” The Honduran LGBTQI rights group Cattrachas says 300 LGBT people have been killed in Honduras since 2009, while Sin Violencia LGBTI says almost 500 trans women have been killed in Latin America from 2014 to 2019.

The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has accompanied Arcoíris, the LGTB Association of Honduras, since July 2015.

Please, consider donating to PBI-USA. You can make a safe donation here.

Make a Difference, help protect human rights defenders!

Support our 40th Year Anniversary Campaign by making a donation

2021 is Peace Brigades International's 40th Year Anniversary! 

Whether human rights defenders fight for social equality, justice, or environmental and indigenous rights, we must protect their vision of the future. For 40 years, PBI has provided protection so defenders can continue their work. With your support, we can ensure that PBI-USA can continue to make space for peace.

Together, we will provide life-saving support to more threatened defenders in urgent need of protection.

Please consider donating to our campaign.