"I'm Lucky to Still Be Alive" : Violence and Discrimination Against LGBT People in El Salvador

N. Ghoshal, N. Ghoshal, C.González Cabrera, M. Postema

This report documents violence and discrimination against LGBT people in El Salvador. It is based on 41 interviews with LGBT people from El Salvador who had experienced violence and discrimination and 19 other stakeholders including government officials, nongovernmental organization representatives, United Nations officials, lawyers, and journalists. Human Rights Watch interviewed LGBT people in and from El Salvador who described the complex web of violence and discrimination that threatens their physical safety, limits their life choices, and in some cases leads them to flee their country. Some described violence at the hands of family members. Others described bullying and discrimination that drove them out of school or limited their academic success. Although no statistics are available on LGBT people's economic situation in El Salvador, many interviewees told us that family rejection and discrimination lead to a higher likelihood of economic marginalization, particularly for trans women, several of whom said they could not find any job other than sex work. Poverty in turn places LGBT people at high risk of violence from gang members, from other members of the public, and from police and other members of the security forces. And while victims of violence in El Salvador generally face monumental