Backlash against LGBTQ rights in Latin America. Is the growth of evangelism an attempt to undermine LGBTQ rights and democracy?

The Centre on Law and Social Transformation and Bergen Resource Centre is happy to invite you to a breakfast seminar on LGBTQ rights in Latin America.

Date: Friday, 16th of March

Time: 08:30 AM

Venue: Bergen Resource Centre for International Development, Jekteviksbakken 31, 5006 Bergen, Hordaland

Panel: Javier Corrales (Amherst College), Hans Geir Aasmundsen (UiB), Lise Rakner  (UiB) Matthew Gichohi (UiB).

Over the last three decades, Latin America has seen one of the largest conversions to Evangelical Protestantism in history. Challenging the monopoly of the Catholic Church, Evangelicals nowadays account for more than 20 percent of the population in Latin America. The churches have shown to be quite active politically, in some cases mobilizing a significant number of voters for their causes. Increasingly they are joining forces with conservative parties, campaigning for a traditionalist, patriarchal position that exclusively defends the traditional gender order, and stands against fundamental sexual and reproductive rights.

To what extent does the rise of Evangelicals threaten the rights of sexual minorities and the LGBTQ populations in Latin America? What consequences does this have for democracy in general?

To shed light on these questions we are joined by Javier Corrales who will give a talk on the subject. We are also joined by Hans Geir Aasmundsen and Lise Rakner who will take part in a discussion with Corrales afterwards. The moderator will be Matthew Gichohi.

Javier Corrales is a professor of Political Science at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts who has written on democratization and LGBTQ rights in Latin America

Hans Geir Aasmundsen is a researcher at the University of Bergen who has written about global Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and focuses on Latin America.

Lise Rakner is a professor of Comparative politics at the University of Bergen working on backlashes against democracy in Africa.

Matthew Gichohi is a Post-doctor of Comparative politics at the University of Bergen.

The event is free and open to everyone. Coffee and croissants will be served!