Peruvian Gov’t Classifies Intersex, Transgender People As ‘Mentally Ill’

Peruvian Health Minister, Cesar Vasquez, has classified Transgender, non-binary and Intersex people as mentally ill.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Health Minister Cesar Vasque and Minister of Economy and Finance, Arista Arbildo, signed a degree earlier on May 10 stating that transsexualism, dual role transvestism, gender identity disorder in childhood, other gender identity disorders, gender identity disorder, and egodystonic sexual orientation were all categorised as persons with mental health problem.

Cesar Vasquez said the decree was the only way Perus’s public health services could guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health.

The decree has sparked uproar amongst the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) community, which described it as discriminatory.

However, a medical researcher at Lima’s Scientific University of the South commented that the decree may have been well intentioned, but it revealed a lack of awareness of complex LGBT issues and has opened the door to conversion therapy.