Ahead of its October 27 general election, Uruguay held a pre-referendum on the 4th of August in a bid to decide whether to move forward with an attempt to repeal the Comprehensive Law for Trans People (Ley Integral Para Personas Trans).

The “yes” or “no” vote on whether the country should have a referendum to repeal the law, required 25% of the electorate to vote “yes” for the referendum to go forward. Less than 10% voted “yes”.

The Law

Passed in 2018, the law enshrines rights for increased welfare for trans people. Itallows minors to change their gender with parental consent and establishes monetary reparations for the state’s previous discriminatory actions against transgender people during the Uruguayan military dictatorship.

Furthermore, the law “defines gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy as a right and ensures those treatments will be paid for by the Uruguayan state. It also reserves 1% of jobs in the government for transgender people, Quartzreported.

Repeal Agenda

Carlos Iafigliola and Alvaro Dastugue of the conservative National Party submitted a petition to the electoral court in March 2019. They argued that the law is “unfair because it violates article 8 of the Constitution of the Republic that says we are all equal before the Law.”

The petition, however, faced criticism before the vote, with even the National Party distancing itself from it. Speaking on the vote’s defeat, Senator Constanza Moreira of the ruling Broad Front Party tweeted, “Without a doubt, those of us who are in favour of broadening people’s rights are the immense majority. That speaks well of Uruguay.”

Uruguay is seen as one of the most progressive countries in terms of LGBTQ+ rights. Under the leftist Broad Front party, which has been in power since 2005, a number of reforms meant to protect and increase the rights of LGBTQ+ people have been made.