When are we going to stop talking about Lima?
The short answer is: not yet — because what happened there deserves to be remembered.
In September 2025, over 200 LGBTIQ+ political leaders from 22 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean gathered in Lima, Peru, for the VII Conference of LGBTIQ+ Political Leaders of the Americas and the Caribbean — a space that not only defied the odds, but redefined what collective leadership looks like in times of backlash.
Despite facing financial cuts and political threats, the Conference became a powerful act of recovery and resistance. It reclaimed the regional leadership space that had been under threat, reignited cross-border alliances, and sparked a new decade of participation built on solidarity, strategy, and queer joy.
A Movement That Refuses to Return to the Margins
For three days, leaders, activists, and elected officials met to exchange experiences, shape regional strategies, and reaffirm a shared conviction: we are not going back to the margins.
The gathering culminated in a historic visit to the Peruvian Congress, where 200 participants — invited by Congresswoman Susel Paredes — filled a room in an institution that has yet to pass a single law in favor of LGBTIQ+ rights. That symbolic moment reminded everyone that even in hostile contexts, our presence is itself a form of power.
The Birth of the Lima Agenda
From this collective effort emerged The Lima Agenda, a ten-year regional political commitment that will guide the work of LGBTIQ+ movements, organizations, and allies across the Americas and the Caribbean.
It defines seven guiding objectives for the decade ahead — each representing a shared aspiration and a roadmap for action:
Presentes, Diversas, Iguales, Libres, Vivas, Dignas y Juntas.
(Present, Diverse, Equal, Free, Alive, Dignified, and Together.)
The Lima Agenda calls for concrete institutional, legislative, and cultural transformations to ensure that LGBTIQ+ people can run for office, be elected, and participate in politics with visibility, dignity, and without discrimination.
A Collective Effort that Redefines Possibility
This milestone was made possible by an extraordinary network of regional partners — including Promsex (Peru), Caribe Afirmativo (Colombia), Diversidad Dominicana (Dominican Republic), Somos CDC (Honduras), Yaaj (Mexico) and others — in collaboration with Victory Institute’s Global Programs.
Participants left Lima not only inspired but equipped with new tools and strategies to advance equality in their countries. Media across the region covered the Conference, amplifying the message that democracy cannot be complete without LGBTIQ+ representation. As one attendee put it:
“In Lima, we didn’t just meet — we built a new political horizon together”
Looking Ahead
The VII Conference demonstrated the strength and resilience of our movements. After a decade in which we’ve seen a record number of LGBTIQ+ people elected to office and historic rights secured across the region, we will not let backlash distract us from the milestones we are yet to achieve.
The LGBTQ Consortium will continue working with regional partners to strengthen this collective roadmap, ensuring that what began in Lima continues to echo across the region — in parliaments, city halls, and communities.
We are here. We are powerful. And we are together.
📸 Explore more
Official photo gallery: View here
Follow the regional network: @LiderazgosLGBT
