Progressive Politics in Colombia: First Queer Woman Elected as Mayor

by Juan Angel Marquez-Cruz

During the 2019 Colombian election, Claudia López Hernández, became the first woman and first openly queer candidate to be elected mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, the second most critical elected position in the country.

As expected, Hernández’s rise to power was strongly contested by right-wing, evangelical, and conservative movements which sought to barricade any future for transformative politics. These movements denounced the populist vote naming Claudia Hernández mayor, calling her “immoral” for proudly displaying her relationship with her wife, Angelica Lozano Correa.

Although Colombia—along with the many Latin American countries—is perceived to centralize conservative and Catholic-dominated policy, the nation employs a more progressive agenda in their social-political legislation. In 2015, for instance, trans folx over the age of 18 were granted the right to legally correct their gender identity on all identification-based documents. The following year, the battle for same-sex marriage was rendered a success, allowing equal protection for same-sex couples and implementing more progressive policies that chastise gender-based discrimination in the workforce.

Correspondingly, to maintain the progressive momentum, Hernández proposed instituting essential changes to public forums, health services, and educational sectors in her 60-page policy memo. Through this vision, she hopes to restore sympathy and reduce the stigmatization of and violence against marginalized queer individuals. Likewise, Hernández aspires to enact regional safe spaces where LGBTQ+ folx are able to feel protected, regardless of their sexual or gender identification.

Hernández’s victory fulfilled the seemingly intangible dreams of those whose lives are constantly threatened by homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic hate crimes. This intersectional representation of women, queerness, the working class, and the disenfranchised reflect powerful and crucial changes that will unequivocally transform the trajectory of Latin American politics. We are witnessing a momentous epoch in the course of Latin American history—where more marginalized identities are taking on leadership roles.

Case in point, in 2019, the Victory Institute— an organization committed to increasing the amount of LGBTQ+ folx in public office—reports gathering more than 300 LGBTQ+ elected officials from Latin America and the Caribbean during its Fourth Conference in Bogotá. The importance of visibility in Latin American politics, and around the globe in this case, creates social consciousness of LGBTQ+ matters that were otherwise ignored.

Ultimately, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and granting them spaces at the table where heteropatriarchy unfortunately persists is imperative. Doing so fosters a more engaged and well-represented populace—one that truly reflects the transformative changes occurring across regions of Latin America. In these precarious times, marginalized communities should continue to consolidate their power and demand visibility and involvement in politics at every level of government.