Free to Be The Free to Be initiative aims to contribute to safeguard the life and
integrity of LGBTIQ+ people in Central America, with particular attention to
trans people, by accessing data that facilitates the implementation of
effective security and protection measures, and by visualizing the threats they
face. At the national level, networks and organizations of LGBTIQ+ people in
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica will strengthen
their capacities and improve coordination with authorities to foster
collection, analysis, interpretation, visualization and use of data about
crimes, violence and acts of discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people, and will
promote the improvement of security measures. We will make use of civic
technology and data specialists to make data available for journalists and
artists. They will translate data and stories into alternative narratives on
discrimination and violence towards LGBTIQ+ people, which can be used to
influence public opinion and policy discussions, both at national and regional
levels. In this process, we will strengthen dialogued with unusual suspects
(such as families, faith-based organizations, companies, youth groups, among
others) to promote understanding and engagement in the construction of
narratives that promote the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons. The project will
have an emphasis on the Northern Triangle countries of the region. Data and partnerships to transform realities In addition to the creation of new and improved LGBTIQ+ narratives, the other pillar of Libre de Ser was the creation of data to facilitate the implementation of effective comprehensive security measures. The publication of the Mapping for the improvement of data on violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity; the creation of the Open Data Portal on LGBTIQ+ violence in Honduras by CUCR; the School of Open Data and Advocacy and the LGBTIQ+ Open Data Center of Visibles; and the workshops on open justice, jurisprudence and LGBTIQ+ open data implemented, represent significant advances for a path to access to justice that: evidences violations against diverse populations; responds to the need for a paradigm shift that places excluded populations at the center to prioritize their legal needs; and that makes official records available to individuals and organizations to facilitate the exercise of activism and defense of the rights of LGBTIQ+ populations. These actions undoubtedly demonstrate that collaborative work between civil society organizations and state entities can begin to open the way to achieve significant improvements in the living conditions of the Central American LGBTIQ+ population.Art as a transforming tool Libre de Ser has always been committed to art as a tool for social transformation, and through various artistic activities it invited people to reflect on the struggles for the rights of diverse populations, such as the performance "Jardín de Flores" by Regina José Galindo; artistic exhibitions such as "Es tiempo de Ser en nuestros propios términos" (It's time to be on our own terms) by Emma Segura; street activations such as the one carried out by Transvida and Retumba at the International Women's Day 2022 March in Costa Rica; and the audiovisual production present in the Sala de Creación and in the Voces Violeta documentaries "Reflejos Comunes" and "Agua para mi memoria" about LGBTIQ+ populations. The contributions and willingness of partner organizations, public institutions, activists, media, universities and civil society organizations was key for Libre de Ser to become a living space for the exchange of feelings, experiences and experiences. We are especially grateful to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Central America for all the follow-up and support provided during this process. The road is still wide and complex, the struggle must continue, especially in a convulsive regional context where fundamentalist positions are advancing and regressive legal initiatives are the order of the day. The admirable work of activists must continue to be supported, both with economic resources and technical advice, only together we will be FREE TO BE!