Peru will no longer list transgender people as having mental illnesses

Peru will no longer list individuals who identify as transgender, among others, as having mental disorders, the country’s Ministry of Health announced this Tuesday (25).

The decision comes after criticism of a measure by the department, which members of the LGBTQIA+ community said was discriminatory.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the capital Lima last month to demand the repeal of a new law that described those who identify as transgender, along with “transvestites” and those with “gender identity disorders” as mentally ill.

These people would be eligible for health services through public and private providers.

Opponents of the law argued that the ministry’s update of the country’s health regulations was also unnecessary, as existing rules already allowed for universal access to mental health services.

In the statement, the ministry said it will no longer refer to individuals as “suffering from any disorder.”

Instead, it will use the term “gender nonconformity” for purposes of mental and behavioral health classifications eligible to receive care.

The ministry also noted that it will refrain from using other terms that human rights groups consider prejudiced, while also emphasizing its “respect for the dignity of the person and for their free actions within the scope of human rights that provide health services in their benefit”.

Source: CNN Brasil

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