Gómez Arévalo, ‘Entre la espada y la pared’, 2017

Amaral Gómez Arévalo, ‘Entre la espada y la pared: Movilidad forzada de personas salvadoreñas LGBT’, Mediações-Revista de Ciências Sociais, 22(1), 130-155, 2017

Abstract

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of forced mobility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The used methodology was the documentary review. In El Salvador contemporary forced mobility is a historical phenomenon. However, the forced mobility of LGBT Salvadoran people has its own characteristics. It can be understood as unplanned and unwanted personal or collective mobilization from the original place of living as the only way to safeguard life. It happens because of manifest or latent threats of any form of violence provoked by Maras that generate a sense of imminent danger over their lives – a rock; and because of the historical, social and institutional system of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, they do not find sufficient protection from the State institutions for this purpose – a hard place.

Keywords: El Salvador. Violence. Sexual diversity. LGBT. Forced mobility