Tips for Gay and Lbian Travelers Honduras | Frommer's

Contents:

• THE BEST HONDURAS GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS HONDURAS
• GAY HONDURAS TRAVEL GUI
• IS ROATAN GAY IENDLY? - ROATAN FOM
• ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL
• MAPA GAY HONDURAS
• LGBT MIGRANTS FLED PERSECUTN BACK HOME. THEN THEY FLED THE CARAVAN.TIRED, POOR, HUDDLEDLGBT MIGRANTS WILL WA AS LONG AS TAK TO FOLLOW PRINT TMP’S RTRICTIVE NEW L FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS—EVEN IF THOSE L SEEM SIGNED TO DISURAGE WAG AT ALL.STT BIXBYPUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2018 4:48AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTFOR MOST OF THE PEOPLE TRAVELG AS PART OF A THOAND-PERSON MIGRANT RAVAN THE HOPE OF REACHG SAFETY AT THE U.S. BORR, THE GROUP REPRENTS THEIR BT CHANCE TO PE PERSECUTN, VLENCE AND CRIMAL EXPLOATN THEIR NATIVE UNTRI. FOR ROUGHLY 80 LGBT HONDURANS, HOWEVER, THE GROUP SELF BEME A DANGERO PLACE—DANGERO ENOUGH FOR THEM TO BREAK OFF TO A RAVAN OF THEIR OWN.NOW, AMERIN RELIEF GROUPS ARE MOBILIZG TO ENSURE THAT THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS ARE BEG TAKEN SERLY BY AN IMMIGRATN ASTCTURE THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF POORLY HANDLG UNDOCUMENTED LGBT IMMIGRANTS.“MANY MORE LGBTQ ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE CURRENTLY TRAPPED DANGERO TENTN FACILI,” SAID JACKIE YODASHK, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATN EQUALY, A NONPROF ANIZATN THAT ADVOT FOR LGBT AND HIV-POSIVE PEOPLE THE IMMIGRATN SYSTEM. “LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE 97 TIM AS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VLENCE THAN NON-TRANS, STRAIGHT PEOPLE.”CéSAR MEJíA, A GAY MAN OM SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS, WAS  AMONG THE FIRST PEOPLE TO JO THE ORIGAL RAVAN HEAD FOR THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORR, SPURRED TO MAKE THE 2,800-E TREK BY HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE AND POLICE DIFFERENCE HIS HOMELAND. AFTER HE AND OTHER LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE BEGAN FACG THE SAME THREATS THAT THEY HAD HOPED TO FLEE—THIS TIME, OM SOME OF THEIR FELLOW TRAVELERS—THEY CID TO START THEIR OWN JOURNEY TO SAFETY. “WE WERE WH THE RAVAN, THE PART OF THE RAVAN THAT IS STILL ON S WAY, AND WE LEFT BEE WE WANTED TO AVOID PROBLEMS,” MEJíA, A 23-YEAR-OLD WH BLON HIGHLIGHTS AND SPARKLG STUD EARRGS, TOLD REPORTERS A PRS NFERENCE TIJUANA EARLIER THIS WEEK. “WHENEVER WE ARRIVED AT A STOPPG POT, THE LGBT MUNY WAS THE LAST TO BE TAKEN TO ACUNT EVERY WAY. SO OUR GOAL WAS TO CHANGE THAT AND SAY, ‘THIS TIME, WE ARE GOG TO BE FIRST,’ SO WE LEFT.”NOW, MEJíA AND OTHER LGBT MIGRANTS ARE WILLG TO WA FOR AS LONG AS TAK TO FOLLOW PRINT TMP’S RTRICTIVE NEW L FOR WOULD-BE ASYLUM SEEKERS—EVEN IF THOSE L SEEM SIGNED TO DISURAGE WAG AT ALL.“WE ARE FLEEG A UNTRY WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF CRIME AGAST ,” A TRANSGENR WOMAN, WHO DID NOT GIVE HER NAME, TOLD REPORTERS AT THE PRSER, ANIZED BY MEJíA, WHO HAS EMERGED AS A LEAR OF THE LGBT RAVAN MEMBERS.THE LGBT RAVAN’S LONELY EXOD, FIRST OM THE SO-LLED “NORTHERN TRIANGLE” UNTRI OF EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS, IS REPRENTATIVE OF THE LARGER PROBLEMS FACED BY LGBT IMMIGRANTS SEEKG ASYLUM THE UNED STAT.“THE NDNS THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE UNTRI ARE IMMENSELY DANGERO FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE,” SAID YODASHK. “ACRDG TO [UNED NATNS HIGH COMMISSNER FOR REFUGE], 88 PERCENT OF LGBTI ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGE OM THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE… REPORTED HAVG SUFFERED SEXUAL AND GENR-BASED VLENCE THEIR UNTRI OF ORIG.”ACRDG TO THE INTER-AMERIN COMMISSN ON HUMAN RIGHTS, A BODY OF THE ORGANIZATN OF AMERIN STAT THAT WORKS TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS THE AMERINS, THERE WERE 174 RERD VLENT ATHS OF LGBT PEOPLE HONDURAS BETWEEN 2009 AND 2014. THE VAST MAJORY OF THOSE KILLGS ARE MTED WH APPARENT IMPUNY—OF 141 VLENT ATHS OF LGBT HONDURANS REPORTED BETWEEN 2010 AND 2014, LS THAN ONE FOUR WAS PROSECUTED, A TREND THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE REGN.“OUR CLIENTS HAVE SURVIVED KIDNAPPGS, RAPE, TORTURE, AND ATH THREATS, OFTEN PERPETRATED BY GANGS THAT OPERATE WH IMPUNY OR LLN WH THE THORI,” SAID YODASHK. “IN MANY S, THE POLICE THEMSELV ARE THE ON PERPETRATG VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ PEOPLE.”YODASHK NOTED THAT HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR HAVE THE HIGHT AND THIRD HIGHT PER-PA MURR RAT, RPECTIVELY, FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE ANYWHERE THE WORLD.ALTHOUGH SOME LEGAL PROTECTNS EXIST TO PROTECT LGBT PEOPLE THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE, THEY ARE LARGELY TMPED BY LOOSE ENFORCEMENT AND A BOTTOM-UP POLICE STCTURE THAT PUTS THE MOST POWER THE HANDS OF LOL LAW ENFORCEMENT, MANY OF WHOM ARE VOLVED CRIMAL ACTIVY THEMSELV. “WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELG WH THE RAVAN, MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, LGBT MIGRANTS WERE NIED FOOD, ACCS TO BATHG FACILI, AND EVEN MEDICE AND SANARY NAPKS.” THAT FACT, UPLED WH HONDURAS’ LAW ON POLICE AND SOCIAL COEXISTENCE, LEGISLATN PASSED 2001 THAT GIV POLICE WI-RANGG THORY TO ARRT ANYONE WHO “VLAT MOSTY, CENCY AND PUBLIC MORALS” OR WHO “BY THEIR IMMORAL BEHAVR DISTURBS THE TRANQUILY OF THE NEIGHBORS,” MAK LGBT PEOPLE CENTRAL AMERI, PARTICULARLY TRANS PEOPLE, LEGALLY HELPLS.“IN HONDURAS, THE SIMPLE FACT OF BEG TRANS, BEG AN ADVOTE, BEG PART OF THIS SOCIETY, IS CRIMALIZED,” ONE TRANS WOMAN TOLD THE IACHR.BUT THE JOURNEY TO PE THAT PERSECUTN N OFTEN AMOUNT TO A LEAP OUT OF THE YG PAN AND TO THE FIRE. WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELG WH THE RAVAN, MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, LGBT MIGRANTS WERE NIED FOOD, ACCS TO BATHG FACILI, AND EVEN MEDICE AND SANARY NAPKS.IT WAS ONLY AFTER ENTERG MEXI CY, WHERE LOL MEDIA UGHT WD OF THEIR PLIGHT, THAT ANIZATNS THAT PROVI ASSISTANCE TO LGBT MIGRANTS BEGAN TO REACH OUT.“WHEN WE ENTERED THE MEXIN TERRORY, THOSE ANIZATNS BEGAN TO HELP ,” MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS. “WE DID NOT NTACT THEM. THEY LEARNED OM OUR GROUP THANKS TO THE MEDIA LIKE YOU AND CID TO HELP .”IT WAS WH THAT ASSISTANCE THAT THE LGBT MIGRANTS THE RAVAN—WHO NUMBERED AT LEAST 120, ACRDG TO AN RMAL HEADUNT—WERE ABLE TO TRAVEL BY B TO TIJUANA, MAKG TO THE U.S. BORR WEEKS AHEAD OF THE MA RAVAN.“WE WANT TO DO THGS ORR, THE RIGHT WAY," MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, EXPLAG THAT THE MAJORY OF THOSE THE GROUP WERE HOPG TO CLAIM ASYLUM, POTG TO THE DANGERO NDNS FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE AS EVINCE THAT THEY CREDIBLY FEAR FOR THEIR LIV IF RETURNED. “WE ARE WAG FOR OUR REPRENTATIV” TO HELP GO THROUGH THE LEGAL ASYLUM PROCS.DPE RECENT HURDL PLACED ONT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS OM THE TMP ADMISTRATN, WHICH HAS TIGHTENED RTRICTNS ON WHERE, WHEN AND FOR WHAT REASON A PERSON MIGHT BE GRANTED ASYLUM THE UNED STAT, LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG PERSECUTN ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR ASYLUM AS A CLASS. BUT A MASSIVE BACKLOG ASYLUM APPLITNS MEANS THAT LGBT WOULD-BE ASYLE, WHO TYPILLY HAVE ACCS TO EVEN FEWER ROURC AND OPTNS FOR LEGAL UNSEL THAN THE TYPIL ASYLUM SEEKER, ARE LEFT LIMBO FOR MONTHS.DURG THE 2016 PRINTIAL MPAIGN, TMP RAN AS A (LERALLY) RABOW-FLAG-WAVG ALLY OF LGBT PEOPLE. DURG HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN CLEVELAND, TMP VOWED TO DO “EVERYTHG MY POWER TO PROTECT LGBTQ CIZENS OM THE VLENCE AND OPPRSN OF A HATEFUL FOREIGN IOLOGY.”DPE THAT PROMISE, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS RELIABLY ENACTED POLICI THAT HAVE MA LGBT PEOPLE AT HOME AND ABROAD LS SAFE, PARTICULARLY TRANSGENR PEOPLE. TEN DAYS TO HIS PRINCY—THE SAME DAY THAT THE WHE HOE RELEASED A STATEMENT VOWG THAT PRINT TMP WOULD BE “RPECTFUL AND SUPPORTIVE OF LGBTQ RIGHTS”—THE EDUTN AND JTICE DEPARTMENTS ISSUED A JOT LETTER RCDG A 2016 OBAMA ADMISTRATN GUIDANCE THAT HAD PROTECTED TRANSGENR STUNTS’ ACCS TO APPROPRIATE RTROOMS AND LOCKER ROOMS UNR TLE IX’S BAN ON SEX DISCRIMATN PUBLIC TN.THE PRINT HAS ALSO SIGNED AN ORR BARRG TRANSGENR PEOPLE OM SERVG THE U.S. ARY, RCD PROTECTNS FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE THE PRISON SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THEM TO BE HELD POPULATNS THAT RRPOND WH THEIR GENR INTY, AND, ACRDG TO BOB WOODWARD’S BOOK FEAR: TMP THE WHE HOE, REFERRED TO GENR REASSIGNMENT SURGERY AS GETTG “CLIPPED.” THE ADMISTRATN IS ALSO REPORTEDLY NSIRG NARROWLY FG GENR AS A BLOGIL, UNCHANGEABLE NDN TERMED BY GENALIA AT BIRTH—SENTIALLY WIPG TRANS INTY OUT OF LEGAL EXISTENCE.U.S. CIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATN SERVIC DO NOT MATA STATISTICS ON THE STATED REASON BEHD ASYLUM CLAIMS, BUT THE OFFICE OF THE UNED NATNS HIGH COMMISSNER FOR REFUGE HAS NOTED A GLOBAL CREASE THE NUMBER OF LGBT REFUGE AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, AND A 2015 REPORT OM THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND THE LGBT FREEDOM AND ASYLUM NETWORK TIMAT THAT ROUGHLY FIVE PERCENT OF WOULD-BE ASYLE ENTER THE U.S. “BASED [ON] PERSECUTN OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY.” THE UNED STAT IS A POPULAR STATN FOR THOSE SEEKG PROTECTNS OM ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN AND VLENCE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE FLEEG CENTRAL AMERI. AS THE DOMTIC POLIL CLIMATE FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE U.S. HAS BEE MORE TOLERABLE, MORE LGBT PEOPLE ABROAD SEE THE UNED STAT AS A SAFE HAVEN TO PE PERSECUTN.BUT THE SH TO ENTER THE UNED STAT SEARCH OF PROTECTN, LGBT MIGRANTS WHO ENTER THE UNTRY ILLEGALLY RISK EXPOSG THEMSELV TO DIFFERENT DANGERS—THIS TIME, THE UNTRY WHERE THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE SAFE. PHYSIL AND SEXUAL VLENCE AGAST UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS HELD IMMIGRATN AND CTOMS ENFORCEMENT TENTN CENTERS IS IGHTENGLY MON, ACRDG TO HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, PARTICULARLY FOR TRANSGENR TAE WHO ARE EQUENTLY NOT HOED SECTNS RRPONDG TO THEIR GENR INTY.IN MAY, ROXSANA HERNáNZ, A TRANSGENR HONDURAN WOMAN, DIED WHILE ICE CTODY A NEW MEXI TENTN CENTER AFTER BEG HELD A HIELERA, OR “ICE BOX,” A FACILY KNOWN FOR S IGID TEMPERATUR, FOR FIVE DAYS. THE TEMPERATUR EXACERBATED PRE-EXISTG PNMONIA, PLITED BY HER HIV-POSIVE STAT. THE TRANSGENR LAW CENTER LLED HERNáNZ’S TREATMENT PART OF A PATTERN OF “RAMPANT PHYSIL AND BTAL TREATMENT” OF TRANSGENR WOMEN ICE FACILI.“PAIRED WH THE ABE WE KNOW TRANSGENR PEOPLE REGULARLY SUFFER ICE TENTN, THE ATH OF MS. HERNáNZ SENDS THE MSAGE THAT TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE DISPOSABLE AND DO NOT SERVE DIGNY, SAFETY, OR EVEN LIFE,” SAID ISA NOYOLA, PUTY DIRECTOR AT TRANSGENR LAW CENTER.AS OF JUNE 30, 2018, ICE HAS 72 SELF-INTIFIED TRANSGENR TAE CTODY, SPREAD ACROSS 13 FACILI NATNWI. THAT REPRENTS AN CREASE OM 2017, WHEN THERE THERE WERE, ON AVERAGE, 50 TRANSGENR TAE NATNWI.REPORTS OF QUTNABLE NDNS FOR LGBT TAE ICE FACILI HAVE EVEN REACHED CONGRS. FIVE DAYS AFTER HERNáNZ’S ATH, 37 MEMBERS OF CONGRS SIGNED A LETTER TO HOMELAND SECURY SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN CG NCERNS OF “DISTURBG” ACUNTS OF VLENCE, ISOLATN, AND ABE OF LGBT PEOPLE HELD ICE TENTN.“THE DIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY TRANSGENR WOMEN, ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO ABE, CLUDG SEXUAL ASSLT, WHILE CTODY,” THE SIGNATORI, ALL DEMOCRATS, SAID THE LETTER, NOTG THAT AT THE TIME, FOUR OF THE 17 FACILI WHICH TRANSGENR WOMEN WERE TAED ARE WERE ALL-MALE FACILI.DANI BENT, AN ICE SPOKPERSON, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CISNS RELATG TO WHERE AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT MAY BE TAED ARE MA ON A SE-BY-SE BASIS, AND TAKE A TRANSGENR DIVIDUAL’S PREFERENCE TO ACUNT.ICE, BENT SAID, IS “MTED TO UPHOLDG AN IMMIGRATN TENTN SYSTEM THAT PRRIZ THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF ALL OF THOSE OUR RE CTODY,” CLUDG LGBT TAE. BENT ALSO POTED TO THE OPENG OF A DITED UN FOR TRANSGENR WOMEN THE CIBOLA COUNTY CORRECTNAL CENTER NEW MEXI 2017, WHICH HAS A 60-TAEE PACY.“ICE TRAED FACILY MEDIL AND TENTN STAFF BT PRACTIC FOR THE RE OF TRANSGENR DIVIDUALS; HIRED A DITED CTODY ROURCE COORDATOR TO ENSURE TAEE ACCS TO RE AND SERVIC; AND FACILATED PARTNERSHIPS WH LOL TRANSGENR ANIZATNS FOR PEER SUPPORT AND OTHER SERVIC AND PROGRAMMG,” BENT TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. FURTHERMORE, UNR PRINT BARACK OBAMA, ICE ISSUED A TRANSGENR RE MEMORANDUM, OUTLG BT PRACTIC FOR PLACEMENT AND RE OF TRANSGENR TAE. THAT MEMORANDUM, BENT NOTED, REMAS EFFECT UNR PRINT TMP.OUTSI OF DITED HOG UNS, HOWEVER, “TRANSGENR TAE MAY BE HOED ANY AREAS WHERE GENERAL POPULATN TAE ARE HELD.”ON THE SOUTHERN SI OF A GROWG WALL OF NCERTA WIRE, HOWEVER, LGBT MIGRANTS STILL HOLD OUT HOPE THAT THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS WILL BE RPECTED, AND THAT THEY WILL, AT LONG LAST, BE TREATED WH RPECT.“WE ARE JT THANKFUL WE ARRIVED HEALTHY AND ALL ONE PIECE,” MEJíA SAID.—WH SPANISH TRANSLATN BY PILAR MELENZ STT BIXBY
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS HONDURAS

THE BEST HONDURAS GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS HONDURAS

The LGBT Pri March Honduras’s San Pedro Sula, which drew 450 people, was the upliftg culmatn of a week of Pri activi that also clud more sober reflectns, such as a ndlelight vigil for lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people killed Honduras.

” Dpe the activists’ urage and pri, which I also observed at Tegucigalpa’s march on the Internatnal Day agast Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia May, vlence agast LGBT people do make Honduras unlivable for many. Acrdg to Cattrachas, 2018, 25 LGBT people were killed: 16 gay men, 5 trans people, and 4 lbian women. And the suatn appears to be worseng: the number of killgs tallied between January and Augt of 2019 – 13 gay men, 7 trans people, and 6 lbian women – already outpac the entire year of 2018.

GAY HONDURAS TRAVEL GUI

Text 'GAYTRAVEL' to 1-800-GAY-TRAVEL (1-800-429-8728). — Travel Guis wh a Gay Perspective.

Priste beach, lh tropil jungl, fascatg ancient s, and breathtakg mountas wa for the gay traveler. Gay Honduras. Is Roatan gay iendly?

IS ROATAN GAY IENDLY? - ROATAN FOM

We are a group travellg to Roatan later this year and some people the group are wonrg if Wt end village and Wt bay are gay iendly? Re: Is Roatan gay iendly? I have yet to see or hear of any issu wh gays Wt Bay.

Many of the hotel workers are openly gay. However there are no 'gay' bars the area.

ACTIVISTS NMN VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ MUNY ST. VCENT, WHERE GAY SEX IS ILLEGAL

I'd tegorize as more gay-agnostic.

By that I mean there isn't a scene that I've ever noticed, or even any bars that intify as gay, but I don't foree you havg a problem.

Vcent and the Grenad, where gay sex is still homelsns to ongog physil and verbal abe, the gay muny the small natn of some 100, 000 people says is unr nstant threat. Vcent, anal sex is punishable by up to 10 years prison, while “gross cency” wh another person of the same sex is punishable by up to five years, acrdg to lonial-era laws that are mon the socially nservative Caribbean rarely voked, the rights group and a lol activist said the laws help legimize hostily and abe agast gay people.

MAPA GAY HONDURAS

”In July 2019, two gay men om St. Vcent who are livg abroad filed a se to challenge lol laws crimalizg gay sex that activists say should be stck down.

LGBT MIGRANTS FLED PERSECUTN BACK HOME. THEN THEY FLED THE CARAVAN.TIRED, POOR, HUDDLEDLGBT MIGRANTS WILL WA AS LONG AS TAK TO FOLLOW PRINT TMP’S RTRICTIVE NEW L FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS—EVEN IF THOSE L SEEM SIGNED TO DISURAGE WAG AT ALL.STT BIXBYPUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2018 4:48AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTFOR MOST OF THE PEOPLE TRAVELG AS PART OF A THOAND-PERSON MIGRANT RAVAN THE HOPE OF REACHG SAFETY AT THE U.S. BORR, THE GROUP REPRENTS THEIR BT CHANCE TO PE PERSECUTN, VLENCE AND CRIMAL EXPLOATN THEIR NATIVE UNTRI. FOR ROUGHLY 80 LGBT HONDURANS, HOWEVER, THE GROUP SELF BEME A DANGERO PLACE—DANGERO ENOUGH FOR THEM TO BREAK OFF TO A RAVAN OF THEIR OWN.NOW, AMERIN RELIEF GROUPS ARE MOBILIZG TO ENSURE THAT THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS ARE BEG TAKEN SERLY BY AN IMMIGRATN ASTCTURE THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF POORLY HANDLG UNDOCUMENTED LGBT IMMIGRANTS.“MANY MORE LGBTQ ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE CURRENTLY TRAPPED DANGERO TENTN FACILI,” SAID JACKIE YODASHK, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATN EQUALY, A NONPROF ANIZATN THAT ADVOT FOR LGBT AND HIV-POSIVE PEOPLE THE IMMIGRATN SYSTEM. “LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE 97 TIM AS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VLENCE THAN NON-TRANS, STRAIGHT PEOPLE.”CéSAR MEJíA, A GAY MAN OM SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS, WAS  AMONG THE FIRST PEOPLE TO JO THE ORIGAL RAVAN HEAD FOR THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORR, SPURRED TO MAKE THE 2,800-E TREK BY HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE AND POLICE DIFFERENCE HIS HOMELAND. AFTER HE AND OTHER LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE BEGAN FACG THE SAME THREATS THAT THEY HAD HOPED TO FLEE—THIS TIME, OM SOME OF THEIR FELLOW TRAVELERS—THEY CID TO START THEIR OWN JOURNEY TO SAFETY. “WE WERE WH THE RAVAN, THE PART OF THE RAVAN THAT IS STILL ON S WAY, AND WE LEFT BEE WE WANTED TO AVOID PROBLEMS,” MEJíA, A 23-YEAR-OLD WH BLON HIGHLIGHTS AND SPARKLG STUD EARRGS, TOLD REPORTERS A PRS NFERENCE TIJUANA EARLIER THIS WEEK. “WHENEVER WE ARRIVED AT A STOPPG POT, THE LGBT MUNY WAS THE LAST TO BE TAKEN TO ACUNT EVERY WAY. SO OUR GOAL WAS TO CHANGE THAT AND SAY, ‘THIS TIME, WE ARE GOG TO BE FIRST,’ SO WE LEFT.”NOW, MEJíA AND OTHER LGBT MIGRANTS ARE WILLG TO WA FOR AS LONG AS TAK TO FOLLOW PRINT TMP’S RTRICTIVE NEW L FOR WOULD-BE ASYLUM SEEKERS—EVEN IF THOSE L SEEM SIGNED TO DISURAGE WAG AT ALL.“WE ARE FLEEG A UNTRY WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF CRIME AGAST ,” A TRANSGENR WOMAN, WHO DID NOT GIVE HER NAME, TOLD REPORTERS AT THE PRSER, ANIZED BY MEJíA, WHO HAS EMERGED AS A LEAR OF THE LGBT RAVAN MEMBERS.THE LGBT RAVAN’S LONELY EXOD, FIRST OM THE SO-LLED “NORTHERN TRIANGLE” UNTRI OF EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS, IS REPRENTATIVE OF THE LARGER PROBLEMS FACED BY LGBT IMMIGRANTS SEEKG ASYLUM THE UNED STAT.“THE NDNS THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE UNTRI ARE IMMENSELY DANGERO FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE,” SAID YODASHK. “ACRDG TO [UNED NATNS HIGH COMMISSNER FOR REFUGE], 88 PERCENT OF LGBTI ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGE OM THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE… REPORTED HAVG SUFFERED SEXUAL AND GENR-BASED VLENCE THEIR UNTRI OF ORIG.”ACRDG TO THE INTER-AMERIN COMMISSN ON HUMAN RIGHTS, A BODY OF THE ORGANIZATN OF AMERIN STAT THAT WORKS TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS THE AMERINS, THERE WERE 174 RERD VLENT ATHS OF LGBT PEOPLE HONDURAS BETWEEN 2009 AND 2014. THE VAST MAJORY OF THOSE KILLGS ARE MTED WH APPARENT IMPUNY—OF 141 VLENT ATHS OF LGBT HONDURANS REPORTED BETWEEN 2010 AND 2014, LS THAN ONE FOUR WAS PROSECUTED, A TREND THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE REGN.“OUR CLIENTS HAVE SURVIVED KIDNAPPGS, RAPE, TORTURE, AND ATH THREATS, OFTEN PERPETRATED BY GANGS THAT OPERATE WH IMPUNY OR LLN WH THE THORI,” SAID YODASHK. “IN MANY S, THE POLICE THEMSELV ARE THE ON PERPETRATG VLENCE AGAST LGBTQ PEOPLE.”YODASHK NOTED THAT HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR HAVE THE HIGHT AND THIRD HIGHT PER-PA MURR RAT, RPECTIVELY, FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE ANYWHERE THE WORLD.ALTHOUGH SOME LEGAL PROTECTNS EXIST TO PROTECT LGBT PEOPLE THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE, THEY ARE LARGELY TMPED BY LOOSE ENFORCEMENT AND A BOTTOM-UP POLICE STCTURE THAT PUTS THE MOST POWER THE HANDS OF LOL LAW ENFORCEMENT, MANY OF WHOM ARE VOLVED CRIMAL ACTIVY THEMSELV. “WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELG WH THE RAVAN, MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, LGBT MIGRANTS WERE NIED FOOD, ACCS TO BATHG FACILI, AND EVEN MEDICE AND SANARY NAPKS.” THAT FACT, UPLED WH HONDURAS’ LAW ON POLICE AND SOCIAL COEXISTENCE, LEGISLATN PASSED 2001 THAT GIV POLICE WI-RANGG THORY TO ARRT ANYONE WHO “VLAT MOSTY, CENCY AND PUBLIC MORALS” OR WHO “BY THEIR IMMORAL BEHAVR DISTURBS THE TRANQUILY OF THE NEIGHBORS,” MAK LGBT PEOPLE CENTRAL AMERI, PARTICULARLY TRANS PEOPLE, LEGALLY HELPLS.“IN HONDURAS, THE SIMPLE FACT OF BEG TRANS, BEG AN ADVOTE, BEG PART OF THIS SOCIETY, IS CRIMALIZED,” ONE TRANS WOMAN TOLD THE IACHR.BUT THE JOURNEY TO PE THAT PERSECUTN N OFTEN AMOUNT TO A LEAP OUT OF THE YG PAN AND TO THE FIRE. WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELG WH THE RAVAN, MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, LGBT MIGRANTS WERE NIED FOOD, ACCS TO BATHG FACILI, AND EVEN MEDICE AND SANARY NAPKS.IT WAS ONLY AFTER ENTERG MEXI CY, WHERE LOL MEDIA UGHT WD OF THEIR PLIGHT, THAT ANIZATNS THAT PROVI ASSISTANCE TO LGBT MIGRANTS BEGAN TO REACH OUT.“WHEN WE ENTERED THE MEXIN TERRORY, THOSE ANIZATNS BEGAN TO HELP ,” MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS. “WE DID NOT NTACT THEM. THEY LEARNED OM OUR GROUP THANKS TO THE MEDIA LIKE YOU AND CID TO HELP .”IT WAS WH THAT ASSISTANCE THAT THE LGBT MIGRANTS THE RAVAN—WHO NUMBERED AT LEAST 120, ACRDG TO AN RMAL HEADUNT—WERE ABLE TO TRAVEL BY B TO TIJUANA, MAKG TO THE U.S. BORR WEEKS AHEAD OF THE MA RAVAN.“WE WANT TO DO THGS ORR, THE RIGHT WAY," MEJíA TOLD REPORTERS, EXPLAG THAT THE MAJORY OF THOSE THE GROUP WERE HOPG TO CLAIM ASYLUM, POTG TO THE DANGERO NDNS FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE AS EVINCE THAT THEY CREDIBLY FEAR FOR THEIR LIV IF RETURNED. “WE ARE WAG FOR OUR REPRENTATIV” TO HELP GO THROUGH THE LEGAL ASYLUM PROCS.DPE RECENT HURDL PLACED ONT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS OM THE TMP ADMISTRATN, WHICH HAS TIGHTENED RTRICTNS ON WHERE, WHEN AND FOR WHAT REASON A PERSON MIGHT BE GRANTED ASYLUM THE UNED STAT, LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG PERSECUTN ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR ASYLUM AS A CLASS. BUT A MASSIVE BACKLOG ASYLUM APPLITNS MEANS THAT LGBT WOULD-BE ASYLE, WHO TYPILLY HAVE ACCS TO EVEN FEWER ROURC AND OPTNS FOR LEGAL UNSEL THAN THE TYPIL ASYLUM SEEKER, ARE LEFT LIMBO FOR MONTHS.DURG THE 2016 PRINTIAL MPAIGN, TMP RAN AS A (LERALLY) RABOW-FLAG-WAVG ALLY OF LGBT PEOPLE. DURG HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN CLEVELAND, TMP VOWED TO DO “EVERYTHG MY POWER TO PROTECT LGBTQ CIZENS OM THE VLENCE AND OPPRSN OF A HATEFUL FOREIGN IOLOGY.”DPE THAT PROMISE, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS RELIABLY ENACTED POLICI THAT HAVE MA LGBT PEOPLE AT HOME AND ABROAD LS SAFE, PARTICULARLY TRANSGENR PEOPLE. TEN DAYS TO HIS PRINCY—THE SAME DAY THAT THE WHE HOE RELEASED A STATEMENT VOWG THAT PRINT TMP WOULD BE “RPECTFUL AND SUPPORTIVE OF LGBTQ RIGHTS”—THE EDUTN AND JTICE DEPARTMENTS ISSUED A JOT LETTER RCDG A 2016 OBAMA ADMISTRATN GUIDANCE THAT HAD PROTECTED TRANSGENR STUNTS’ ACCS TO APPROPRIATE RTROOMS AND LOCKER ROOMS UNR TLE IX’S BAN ON SEX DISCRIMATN PUBLIC TN.THE PRINT HAS ALSO SIGNED AN ORR BARRG TRANSGENR PEOPLE OM SERVG THE U.S. ARY, RCD PROTECTNS FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE THE PRISON SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THEM TO BE HELD POPULATNS THAT RRPOND WH THEIR GENR INTY, AND, ACRDG TO BOB WOODWARD’S BOOK FEAR: TMP THE WHE HOE, REFERRED TO GENR REASSIGNMENT SURGERY AS GETTG “CLIPPED.” THE ADMISTRATN IS ALSO REPORTEDLY NSIRG NARROWLY FG GENR AS A BLOGIL, UNCHANGEABLE NDN TERMED BY GENALIA AT BIRTH—SENTIALLY WIPG TRANS INTY OUT OF LEGAL EXISTENCE.U.S. CIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATN SERVIC DO NOT MATA STATISTICS ON THE STATED REASON BEHD ASYLUM CLAIMS, BUT THE OFFICE OF THE UNED NATNS HIGH COMMISSNER FOR REFUGE HAS NOTED A GLOBAL CREASE THE NUMBER OF LGBT REFUGE AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, AND A 2015 REPORT OM THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND THE LGBT FREEDOM AND ASYLUM NETWORK TIMAT THAT ROUGHLY FIVE PERCENT OF WOULD-BE ASYLE ENTER THE U.S. “BASED [ON] PERSECUTN OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY.” THE UNED STAT IS A POPULAR STATN FOR THOSE SEEKG PROTECTNS OM ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMATN AND VLENCE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE FLEEG CENTRAL AMERI. AS THE DOMTIC POLIL CLIMATE FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE U.S. HAS BEE MORE TOLERABLE, MORE LGBT PEOPLE ABROAD SEE THE UNED STAT AS A SAFE HAVEN TO PE PERSECUTN.BUT THE SH TO ENTER THE UNED STAT SEARCH OF PROTECTN, LGBT MIGRANTS WHO ENTER THE UNTRY ILLEGALLY RISK EXPOSG THEMSELV TO DIFFERENT DANGERS—THIS TIME, THE UNTRY WHERE THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE SAFE. PHYSIL AND SEXUAL VLENCE AGAST UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS HELD IMMIGRATN AND CTOMS ENFORCEMENT TENTN CENTERS IS IGHTENGLY MON, ACRDG TO HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, PARTICULARLY FOR TRANSGENR TAE WHO ARE EQUENTLY NOT HOED SECTNS RRPONDG TO THEIR GENR INTY.IN MAY, ROXSANA HERNáNZ, A TRANSGENR HONDURAN WOMAN, DIED WHILE ICE CTODY A NEW MEXI TENTN CENTER AFTER BEG HELD A HIELERA, OR “ICE BOX,” A FACILY KNOWN FOR S IGID TEMPERATUR, FOR FIVE DAYS. THE TEMPERATUR EXACERBATED PRE-EXISTG PNMONIA, PLITED BY HER HIV-POSIVE STAT. THE TRANSGENR LAW CENTER LLED HERNáNZ’S TREATMENT PART OF A PATTERN OF “RAMPANT PHYSIL AND BTAL TREATMENT” OF TRANSGENR WOMEN ICE FACILI.“PAIRED WH THE ABE WE KNOW TRANSGENR PEOPLE REGULARLY SUFFER ICE TENTN, THE ATH OF MS. HERNáNZ SENDS THE MSAGE THAT TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE DISPOSABLE AND DO NOT SERVE DIGNY, SAFETY, OR EVEN LIFE,” SAID ISA NOYOLA, PUTY DIRECTOR AT TRANSGENR LAW CENTER.AS OF JUNE 30, 2018, ICE HAS 72 SELF-INTIFIED TRANSGENR TAE CTODY, SPREAD ACROSS 13 FACILI NATNWI. THAT REPRENTS AN CREASE OM 2017, WHEN THERE THERE WERE, ON AVERAGE, 50 TRANSGENR TAE NATNWI.REPORTS OF QUTNABLE NDNS FOR LGBT TAE ICE FACILI HAVE EVEN REACHED CONGRS. FIVE DAYS AFTER HERNáNZ’S ATH, 37 MEMBERS OF CONGRS SIGNED A LETTER TO HOMELAND SECURY SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN CG NCERNS OF “DISTURBG” ACUNTS OF VLENCE, ISOLATN, AND ABE OF LGBT PEOPLE HELD ICE TENTN.“THE DIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY TRANSGENR WOMEN, ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO ABE, CLUDG SEXUAL ASSLT, WHILE CTODY,” THE SIGNATORI, ALL DEMOCRATS, SAID THE LETTER, NOTG THAT AT THE TIME, FOUR OF THE 17 FACILI WHICH TRANSGENR WOMEN WERE TAED ARE WERE ALL-MALE FACILI.DANI BENT, AN ICE SPOKPERSON, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CISNS RELATG TO WHERE AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT MAY BE TAED ARE MA ON A SE-BY-SE BASIS, AND TAKE A TRANSGENR DIVIDUAL’S PREFERENCE TO ACUNT.ICE, BENT SAID, IS “MTED TO UPHOLDG AN IMMIGRATN TENTN SYSTEM THAT PRRIZ THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF ALL OF THOSE OUR RE CTODY,” CLUDG LGBT TAE. BENT ALSO POTED TO THE OPENG OF A DITED UN FOR TRANSGENR WOMEN THE CIBOLA COUNTY CORRECTNAL CENTER NEW MEXI 2017, WHICH HAS A 60-TAEE PACY.“ICE TRAED FACILY MEDIL AND TENTN STAFF BT PRACTIC FOR THE RE OF TRANSGENR DIVIDUALS; HIRED A DITED CTODY ROURCE COORDATOR TO ENSURE TAEE ACCS TO RE AND SERVIC; AND FACILATED PARTNERSHIPS WH LOL TRANSGENR ANIZATNS FOR PEER SUPPORT AND OTHER SERVIC AND PROGRAMMG,” BENT TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. FURTHERMORE, UNR PRINT BARACK OBAMA, ICE ISSUED A TRANSGENR RE MEMORANDUM, OUTLG BT PRACTIC FOR PLACEMENT AND RE OF TRANSGENR TAE. THAT MEMORANDUM, BENT NOTED, REMAS EFFECT UNR PRINT TMP.OUTSI OF DITED HOG UNS, HOWEVER, “TRANSGENR TAE MAY BE HOED ANY AREAS WHERE GENERAL POPULATN TAE ARE HELD.”ON THE SOUTHERN SI OF A GROWG WALL OF NCERTA WIRE, HOWEVER, LGBT MIGRANTS STILL HOLD OUT HOPE THAT THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS WILL BE RPECTED, AND THAT THEY WILL, AT LONG LAST, BE TREATED WH RPECT.“WE ARE JT THANKFUL WE ARRIVED HEALTHY AND ALL ONE PIECE,” MEJíA SAID.—WH SPANISH TRANSLATN BY PILAR MELENZ STT BIXBY

”Human Rights Watch terviewed more than 20 members of the island’s LGBTQ muny who shared their stori but were not intified to protect them, notg that lol police are often openly discrimatory toward gay people who seek help.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS HONDURAS

One gay man relled how his classmat beat him and broke his arm. Several reported that their fai are homophobic and physilly and verbally abed them, g them to bee homels and promptg some to nsir also stggle to fd jobs amid a high unemployment rate and said they face discrimatn, cludg a 19-year-old gay man who said he has rorted to beggg: “Sometim I am so hungry. It is hard for me as a gay this untry.

”Six English-speakg natns the Caribbean still crimalize gay sex, cludg Domi, Jamai, Guyana, Grenada and St. Gonsalv prevly noted there’s been a history of discrimatn agast gay people.

That kd of irratnal homophobia is entirely unacceptable. ”González wh Human Rights Watch noted that 2019, the ernment held a workshop for public employe on the importance of rpectg gay rights, a rare move for a nservative Caribbean natn. I thk the laws [crimalizg nsensual gay sex] create a system of homophobia.