Santiago is an intense city with a repressive military and macho history. Yet in very recent years, gay life has begun to emerge from the shadows and relax into the light of better times. LGBT activist organizations coexist with trendy gay bars and clubs.
Chile is one of South America’s most stable and prosperous nations. Although homosexuality was legalized in 1998 in Chile, several court rulings within the last decade demonstrate discriminatory policy. In Chile the current law against sodomy states that the age of consent for homosexuals is set at 18, whereas the age of consent for heterosexual sex is lower at 12.
Activists believe that conservative attitudes are changing, finding greater public tolerance as Chile’s Congress debates striking "offenses to morals and good customs" clauses "that police have used to harass gays, even for behavior such as holding hands in public". The gay scene is small compared with the West or even neighbors like Argentina and Brazil, although 2007 marked the 17th annual Gay Pride Parade in Santiago. See gay rights in Chile.
Name: Chile
Population: 16765000
Capital: Santiago - Pop. 6000000
Area: 756950 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 56
Chile transgender rights law takes effect, 2020/Dec/30
Chile set to pass equal marriage bill, 2019/Mar/11
Chilean President Signs Transgender Rights Law, 2018/Nov/01
Chile’s president introduces same-sex marriage bill, 2017/Aug/21
Gay Couples Celebrate Chile’s Civil Union Law, 2015/Oct/23
Chile: Gay Marriage Bill Introduced, 2014/Dec/10
Gay Marriage Bill To Be Introduced In Chile, 2014/Dec/06
Thousands Demonstrate For Marriage Equality In Chile, 2014/Oct/20
Sailor comes out in first for Chile’s armed forces, 2014/Aug/28
Chile: Hate messages spray-painted on the outside walls of LGBT-rights organization MOVILH, 2014/May/20
Chile expected to legalize gay marriage, 2014/Mar/12
Senate takes first step toward gay civil unions, 2014/Jan/07
Chilean court convicts 4 in murder of gay man that prompted Chile to adopt hate crime law, 2013/Oct/17
Trial of gay Chilean’s alleged killers begins, 2013/Sep/23
50,000 Chileans march in the streets for gay rights, 2013/May/13
Thousands join Chile gay pride parade, 2012/Nov/10
Lawsuit Seeking Gay Marriage Filed Against Chile, 2012/Sep/04
Chilean Paradoxes: LGBT rights in Latin America, 2012/Aug/13
Comment: Reflections on Lima Pride, 2012/Jul/03
Internationally hate crimes against LGBT community members become more frequent and cruel, 2012/Jun/01
Chile votes in law to protect gay bash victims, 2012/May/10
Chilean Leaders Condemn Brutal Homophobic Attack, 2012/Mar/27
Chilean leaders condemn brutal beating of gay man amid calls for hate crime legislation, 2012/Mar/06
Gay Chile News & Reports 2011, 2011/Feb/14
Gay Chile News & Reports 2003-10, 2009/Jan/01
Santiago, 2006/Oct/14