About a year ago, the report of The Cape spoke with trans activist Tamara Adrian, who is a lawyer and works for LGBT rights in Venezuela.
On the occasion, during ILGA-LAC, Tamara said that the Caracas Gay Parade is being boycotted by the state press, which is the majority in the country and is guided by Bolivarian ideology, which preaches 21st century socialism. Furthermore, at the time, the activist reported that the gay community faces a series of problems and prejudices, especially outside the capital's outskirts.
A year later, Tamara is emphatic in saying that nothing has changed for the LGBT community and that it remains "invisible". The activist also comments on the Sexual Diversity Guide, which has just been launched in Venezuela and which, according to her, will "hardly" be approved by Hugo Chávez's government.
Do you believe that the Chavista government will support this material?
No, I do not believe that the Chavista government will support this material. After 12 years, all educational materials made by the Chavista government continue to be sexist, homophobic and chauvinist. The Ministry of Education does not have any clear educational policy on the topic of sexual health, including AIDS. In all these years of the Chávez government, it was not possible to have public policies in any ministry on the LGBT issue, much less in Education. All answers are negative. They say they have to transform society so we can have policies for you (LGBT). And we tell them: it's the opposite, if there are no educational policies for tolerance, homophobia, lesbophobia and transphobia will continue forever.
And educators, do you believe they will adopt the material?
It is difficult for educators to use material not approved by the ministry. Even if the ministry has completely homophobic, lesbophobic and transphobic materials approved.
A year ago, you spoke to the reporter during the ILGA conference in Curitiba. Since then, has there been progress on the LGBT issue in Venezuela?
In practice, no progress. We were only received by the board of directors of the National Assembly on February 22nd to deliver a manifesto calling for equality in legislation. But, a month after the meeting, the same Assembly decided that this (LGBT rights) is not a matter to discuss this year. However, next year we have elections, so we won't have anything again. I think we will be able to have a discussion with the National Assembly between 2013 and 2014.
Venezuela will go through elections. Is there any candidate who publicly supports the LGBT issue?
At the moment, no candidate supports the LGBT cause. Only one political party has demonstrated its intention to support us: Voluntad Popular. They say they will support us, but we are waiting for an official statement.
Do you believe in Chávez’s re-election? If this happens, is it good or bad for LGBT people in Venezuela?
I think so, Chávez is re-elected and we will continue for another seven years in the same situation: limited visibility; non-existent public policies; important homophobic military influence; no proposed laws aimed at equality. Here we also have the issue of the church: Chávez is afraid of Christian churches, which have a 17% presence in Venezuela and support him. So, Chávez will not say anything that could "molest" these churches for fear of losing votes.
