Puerto Rico’s governor wants to make sure people know that he’s including LGBTQ people in his state of emergency plans.
A week and a half ago, Governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico. Specifically, Pierluisi announced concern at the gender-based violence happening within the island. As such, he stated that new actions will be taken by the government to change the situation and the state of emergency will stay in effect until June 30, 2022.
“All violence is reprehensible, and we have to fight it relentlessly. Gender violence is a social evil, based on ignorance and attitudes that cannot have space or tolerance in the Puerto Rico that we aspire to,” Pierluisi said in a statement translated by CNN. “For too long vulnerable victims have suffered the consequences of systematic machismo, inequity, discrimination, lack of education, lack of guidance and above all lack of action.”
While we reported the situation with statistics including the violence placed against transgender citizens, there was speculation over whether Pierluisi was including trans people in his plans. And now, according to the Washington Blade, he says that he does, in fact, plan for that.
“It’s been too long, this pattern of male chauvenism-related violence, femicides, homophobic and transphobic violence,” he said during an interview with ABC News’ “GMA3.” “We want to promote diversity, respect each other.”
The governor also noted that there were 67 women murdered in Puerto Rico in 2020. While he did not specify if lesbian, bisexual, or transgender women were included in that number, he did state his interest in protecting them.
“I want them protected,” he said outright.
“Governor Pedro Pierluisi yesterday during an interview with a U.S. media outlet made an emphatic defense of LGBTTIQ+ people by including them in his declaration of a state of emergency over gender violence,” said Pedro Julio Serrano, founder of the Puerto Rican LGBTQ rights group Tod@s, in a statement. “We appreciate this expressed and unequivocal inclusion.”
“We are ready to help him with the creation of public policies that reaffirm this defense of our dignity as human beings,” he added.
Source: CNN, The Washington Blade,
