By Sister Charo Lillo
On Saturday, November 1, Buenos Aires hosted the 34th LGBTIQ+ Pride March, one of the country’s most significant demonstrations in defense of diversity and hard-won rights. This annual event, held on the first Saturday of November since 1992, brought together more than two million people under the slogans: Against hate and violence: more pride and unity and Pride defeats hate. The day began with a fair and performances in the famed Plaza de Mayo – a place long associated with protests in support of human rights — and concluded with a march to the National Congress.
Although Argentina has been a regional pioneer in advancing LGBTIQ+ rights—legalizing same-sex marriage in 2010 and passing the Gender Identity Law in 2012, which allows trans people to amend their documents and access healthcare—major challenges remain. Discrimination, exclusion and violence persist: this year, killings of trans women and cross dressers increased by 70%, underscoring the urgent need for effective policies.
Adding to this is a political climate marked by confrontation and hostility toward dissent. In February, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Javier Milei delivered a speech linking homosexuality to pedophilia, sparking widespread outrage. The government also has announced plans to eliminate the legal category of femicide and the employment quota for trans individuals.
In response to these threats, the LGBTIQ+ community issued a statement calling for the defense of democracy and the rights already won: “Pride triumphs every time we embrace our identities, when we reject the mandate of shame, and when we freely express our sexual orientations and gender identities in public spaces.” The slogan Life is at risk resonated strongly throughout the march, as numerous social organizations gathered to denounce rhetoric that undermines human dignity.
In Argentina, full implementation of existing laws and real access to rights remain pressing challenges. The struggle continues, because Pride is not only a celebration—it is resistance, memory and hope.