Chile: Transsexuals Demand a Place in Postponed Anti-Discrimination Law
Posted 20 October 2011 19:32 GMT
Written by Katie Manning
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/10/20/chile-transsexuals-demand-a-place-in-postponed-anti-discrimination-law/A few weeks ago Valentina Verbal, 40, tucked into a tidy lacquered table next to her three laughing friends. No one threw her a sideways glance in the chatty diner near the center of Santiago, Chile. She wore relaxed jeans, unlabeled white sneakers and a soft layer of makeup. On the average day, she said, she sticks to what she knows such as this lunch spot. But when she steps out of her routine, like when she's penning through a job application, the fact that her I.D. says "hombre," but her fuschia lipstick says lady, can be a hurdle.
This might soon change. An anti-discrimination law - six years in the making - was up for vote in the Senate this week. Much to the chagrin of the LGBT community, a low turnout among the senators pushed back the vote to November 8. As it stands now, the legislation forbids any discrimination based on: race, age, sex, gender, religion, belief, political or other opinion, birth, national origin, cultural or socioeconomic standing, language, marital status, sexual orientation, illness, disability, genetic structure or any other status. Verbal and others who switched their outward gender identity didn't make the original list. Now, they are fighting to be included.
