"When I say that barriers persist, I am talking in terms of low education, dropout, violence against homosexuality in adolescence. Yes, discrimination persists and it is often accompanied by ignorance," told Lusa Carlos Fernandes, director of the association.
According to the official, during the course of 2019, the LGBT universe (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) gained more visibility in the country participating in various activities promoted by national and foreign institutions.
The association, he added, participated in several projects promoted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on vulnerable populations and was able to identify some "structural barriers that still exist within society".
The new Penal Code, approved by the parliament in January and awaiting publication, decriminalizes homosexual relations in the country, ensuring that "no one can be penalized for discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation."
For Carlos Fernandes, director and co-founder of Íris, legalized by the Government in June 2018, the measure translates into a "very important step", but the association is still waiting for "as it will be in practice".
"We have seen it as a step of opening dialogue with other sectors of government that should support or talk to us for greater preparation and education of families about LGBT," he noted.
The association has about 300 members in Luanda and also has centers in the provinces of Huambo, Benguela and Huíla.
"We couldn't go any further because of financial difficulties," declare the Iris official.
