Global Outcry: Peru Restricts Restroom Access for Trans Youth
In a troubling development for LGBTQ+ rights in Latin America, Peru has enacted a new law that effectively bars transgender individuals from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity. Law 32,331, signed on May 12, 2025, under the guise of “safeguarding the right to sexual integrity of children and adolescents,” has sparked international condemnation from human rights organizations.
Understanding the New Restrictions
The law’s Article 5.1 explicitly prohibits “entering and using bathrooms of public use to every person whose biological sex does not coincide with the sex for which the aforementioned service has been allocated.” This provision directly impacts transgender individuals, including vulnerable trans youth, by forcing them to use facilities that contradict their gender identity.
Human Rights Watch has strongly criticized the legislation, noting that it “turns child protection into a pretext for repression and discrimination” while “scapegoating trans people, a group already at high risk of violence in Peru.”
Beyond Bathroom Restrictions: A Broader Threat
More alarming is the law’s potential impact beyond restroom access. Its vague and overly broad provisions could be used to suppress expressions of identity, artistic content, and educational materials. These provisions threaten freedom of expression and access to information while doing little to address the actual crisis of sexual violence against children in Peru.
According to Peru’s Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, from January to March 2025 alone, there were 4,910 cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents. Rather than implementing evidence-based solutions to this crisis, lawmakers have opted for measures that may further marginalize vulnerable populations.
Know Your Rights: International Protections
Peru is bound by several international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the American Convention on Human Rights. These agreements obligate the country to protect all individuals from discrimination based on age and gender identity.
The enactment of Law 32,331 appears to violate Peru’s commitments under these treaties, providing potential grounds for legal challenges at the international level.
A Pattern of LGBTQ+ Rights Challenges
This law follows other concerning developments in Peru’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights. Just last year, Peru’s Ministry of Health had to walk back anti-trans guidance in the health system after significant criticism. The country continues to struggle with recognition of same-sex marriage and legal gender recognition, with the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status reportedly filing appeals to prevent gender marker changes despite favorable court decisions.
Human rights advocates are calling for Peru to urgently repeal this discriminatory law and instead implement targeted, evidence-based measures to address sexual violence while respecting the rights of all citizens, including transgender youth.
