CHILE

Vanessa R. Soriano

Chile is a progressive South American country in terms of LGBT rights, with

no censorship on the related content and legal provisions for changing one’s gender
without the necessity of surgery. Moreover, non-binary gender recognition is
acknowledged. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is
illegal, including protections encompassing employment and housing.
The social situation for LGBT rights in Chile has seen significant
developments in the last couple of decades. Once illegal just over 20 years ago,
Chile has made great strides in recognizing and protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+
community. This exciting progress includes the passing of a civil union law in 2015,
granting same-sex couples some of the rights and benefits of marriage.Chile has
made significant progress in recent years concerning transgender rights. A major
milestone was the passage of the Gender Identity Law in 2018, which went into
effect on December 27, 2019. This law allows transgender people over 14 years of
age to change their name and gender in official records, providing them with legal
recognition and protection.

Chile has approved a landmark law allowing same-sex marriage in the

historically Catholic country. The Chilean president has signed into law a bill that was
approved by the Congress legalizing same-sex marriage. It was supported by
President Sebastián Piñera.Homosexuality activity is legal in Chile.
Since 2015, same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex
couples have the same legal protection available to opposite-sex
married couples, within a civil union, except for adoptation rights
and the title of marriage. In Chile, there are no laws restricting the
discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics. Since 2019. the Law that
Recognizes and Protects the Right to Geender Identity (Law No. 21,
120) allows transgender people over the age of 14 legally change
their name and gender on all official doucuments. For persons over
18 years of age, the change is requested by submitting a request to
the Civil Registry and Identification Service. Article 4 of the law
stipulates that it will not be a requirement to have undergone any
type of intervention or appearance-modifying treatment.

In conclusion, Chile has made great strides in advancing LGBT rights in

recent years. As of March 10, 2022, same-sex marriage has been legalized, allowing
couples to not only marry but also adopt. This marks a significant milestone for the
country, reflecting a shift in societal attitudes and providing hope for an even more
inclusive future.