Homosexualidad rural en los Andes: notas desde los Yungas de La Paz, Bolivia

Abstract

The scarce literature on homosexuality in Andean countries almost exclusively treats urban contexts. With reference to rural settings, considered “indigenous” by definition, many political activists with Indianist postures insist that homosexuality does not exist in Andean culture, being a perversion introduced by Spanish colonization. If homosexual persons were identified in an Andean community, they would be totally rejected. In both cases the focus is on male homosexuality. This essay presents case studies of both male and female homosexuality in two Bolivian provinces, demonstrating that these sexualities are recognized in the local culture and that the people who display them participate in public and private activities without being subject to discrimination or rejection.

Keywords

• Bolivia
• sexuality
• homosexuality
• Andean
• rural