LGBT Activist Discusses Unsuccessful Meeting with Peru's Deputy Minister of Health Regarding Supreme Decree Classifying Transgender Individuals as Mentally Ill.

During the meeting, the activist, representing various LGBTQ organizations, expressed grave concerns regarding the decree's implications. They articulated the detrimental impact of such classification, emphasizing its potential to exacerbate discrimination and violence against transgender individuals.

Rather than addressing the substantive concerns raised, the Deputy Minister reportedly proposed the formation of a working group to address the issue. This response fell short of the expectations of the LGBTQ community, who had unequivocally called for the repeal of the decree.

Hundreds of protesters held a sit-in in front of the headquarters of Peru's Ministry of Health after it classified "transsexualism" and "gender identity disorder" as mental illnesses through Supreme Decree 009-2024-SA on May 9th.

Various organizations and activists gathered at the ministry's headquarters to demand the repeal of the decree, which uses an outdated diagnostic manual from the WHO, the ICD-10.