Nothing to say: keeping the body in play in the struggle for LGBTTQ rights in Puerto Rico
| Autor | Guillermo Rebollo Gil |
| Cargo | Universidad del Este, Puerto Rico |
| Páginas | 101-113 |
INTERVENCIONES: NOTHING TO SAY 101
Derecho y Crítica Social 2 (1) 101-113
NOTHING TO SAY: KEEPING THE BODY IN PLAY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR
LGBTTQ RIGHTS IN PUERTO RICO
Guillermo Rebollo Gil
Universidad del Este, Puerto Rico
On May 17th 2013, the Committee against Homophobia and Discrimination,
a community-based activist group, held a march from outside the
Governor’s mansion to the Capitol building in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The day before, the Island legislature had passed the first bill outlawing
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment.1 Local
writer David Caleb Acevedo—an out gay man and activist—attended the
march and generated a considerable amount of controversy both among
demonstrators and in the general public, due to the message scribbled on his
poster board: “Keep your fucking god out of my body” [my translation].
For many, Caleb’s aggressive tone and explicit language weren’t in sync with
a demonstration that sought to bring together representatives from a wide
variety of social, political and religious circles, including public officials,
celebrities and religious leaders. His message contrasted brutally with the
1 Senate bill 238 provides protection from employment discrimination in both
government and private sector jobs. The bill, however, as signed into law suffered through
several amendments that limited its reach. Among them, in its final version, the law does
not define gender identity, but rather leaves it to be interpreted and defined as deemed
necessary on a case-by-case basis. It also excludes employees in church-funded
organizations from protection. For more information, see:
http://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-
politica/nota/enmiendasdelacamarareducenalcancedelproyecto238-923809/ and
https://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/28/lgbtq-rights-in-puerto-rico-slowly-improve-
step-by-step/.
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