Famivida

Famivida was officially created on August 15, 1995, under ministerial agreement 2140 of the {{Interlanguage link|Ministerio de Salud Pública|lt=Ministry of Public Health|es}}. It was registered as an organization in favor of HIV/AIDS prevention, without mentioning the defense of LGBT rights, due to the fact that at the time of its creation, homosexuality was still considered a crime in Ecuador.{{Cite web |date=2009 |title=Entrevista a Gonzalo Abarca: "La corriente de pensamiento de la revolución socialista del Siglo XXI ha logrado que se incluyan los derechos de la comunidad homosexual" |trans-title=Interview with Gonzalo Abarca: “The current of thought of the socialist revolution of the 21st Century has managed to include the rights of the homosexual community” |url=https://www.dosmanzanas.com/2009/08/entrevista-a-gonzalo-abarca-famivida-%E2%80%9Cla-corriente-de-pensamiento-de-la-revolucion-socialista-del-siglo-xxi-ha-logrado-que-se-incluyan-los-derechos-de-la-comunidad-homosexual%E2%80%9D.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Dos Manzanas}}

After the Bar Abanicos police raid, which occurred on June 14, 1997, in an LGBT bar in the city of Cuenca, in which several of the detainees suffered abuse and rape, Famivida joined the LGBT groups Fedaeps, Coccinelle, and Tolerancia, in order to form a united front under the name of Triángulo Andino with the purpose of achieving the decriminalization of homosexuality. After agreeing to file an unconstitutionality lawsuit against Article 516 of the Penal Code, the article that criminalized homosexuality, they began a campaign to collect signatures of support, which was one of the requirements for filing the lawsuit. As a result of the campaign, on September 17, the first public demonstration of LGBT people in the history of Guayaquil was held in front of the Court of Justice.{{Cite journal |last=Ramos Ballesteros |first=Paulino |date=2019 |title=Archivo, imágenes y cuerpo en el vigésimo aniversario de la despenalización de la homosexualidad en Ecuador |trans-title=Archive, images and body on the 20th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador |journal=FLACSO Ecuador}}{{Cite book |last=Buendía |first=Silvia |title=Violencia, géneros y derechos en el territorio |publisher=Abya-Yala |year=2019 |isbn=978-9942-09-633-3 |location=Quito |pages=124–126 |language=es |trans-title=Violence, gender and rights in the territory |chapter=Desde la vergüenza hacia el orgullo. El trayecto que nos permitió dejar de ser delincuentes y empezar a ser ciudadanos |trans-chapter=From shame to pride. The journey that allowed us to stop being criminals and start being citizens.}} On November 25 of the same year, the Constitutional Court annulled the first clause of Article 516 of the Penal Code, thus decriminalizing homosexuality in Ecuador. Once the decriminalization process was completed, Famivida restructured itself to include the defense of LGBT rights among its objectives.

On June 28, 2000, members of Famivida attempted to organize the first LGBT Pride March in Guayaquil, for which they managed to gather around 300 people. However, a group of 60 police officers surrounded the participants and fired tear gas at them, in an event that was denounced by Amnesty International.{{Cite web |date=2001-03-30 |title=Ecuador: No a la "limpieza social" contra personas por su orientación sexual |trans-title=Ecuador: No to “social cleansing” against people because of their sexual orientation |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/124000/amr280112001es.pdf |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Amnesty International}} After being dispersed by the police, many of those present escaped to the Judah LGBT bar, located on Los Ríos and Clemente Ballén streets. However, police arrived at the bar shortly thereafter and raided the bar along with cameramen from the open television channel Canal Uno, who filmed those present.

In the following years, Famivida continued to denounce cases of homophobia and abuse by the authorities.{{Cite web |date=2004-06-08 |title=Famivida rechazó expresiones de Borbúa |trans-title=Famivida rejected Borbúa's statements |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2004/06/08/0001/8/24EB6BE2546940C3BE1F9DEEFCB3ED37.html/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Universo}} In April 2003, Neptalí Arias, president of Famivida, denounced that the director of surveillance of the municipality of Guayaquil had sent a letter to the mayor of the city, Jaime Nebot, in which he asked him to approve a “prohibition for gays and homosexuals to pass through the new places(...), for those who publicly offend modesty with indecent actions or sayings and for going out dressed in an indecent manner on public streets.”{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} The director of surveillance responded that his letter only referred to those who engage in prostitution. Famivida, together with the Ombudsman's Office, also denounced the abuses committed during the permanent operation called “Caballero Rosa” (Pink Knight), established by governor {{Interlanguage link|Guido Chiriboga Parra|lt=Guido Chiriboga Parra|es}}, which sought to “eradicate the presence of transvestites and transsexuals” in Barrio Orellana.{{Cite web |date=2005-08-16 |title=Organismos denuncian abusos en operativo Caballero Rosa |trans-title=Organizations denounce abuses in Caballero Rosa operation |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2005/08/16/0001/10/8423FB5A012546DBA2C572C9F97A0EF9.html/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Universo}}

From 2002 to 2004, Famivida asked Mayor Nebot for permission to hold an LGBT pride march in the city, but the mayor refused on all three occasions, stating that “society was not ready". Because of these refusals, the members of Famivida did not attempt to obtain the permits in 2005 and instead, commemorated International LGBT Pride Day with an event in which they presented awards to public figures of the local LGBT community.{{Cite web |date=2005 |title=Gays son aceptados de a poco |trans-title=Gays are slowly being accepted |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2005/06/29/0001/18/EBF7CC09C79A4318BB963C773073A57C.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Universo}} The following year, they decided to hold an art festival called “Art and Diversity” at the intersection of Orrantia and Alcívar avenues, in the Kennedy neighborhood, coordinated by {{Interlanguage link|Óscar Ugarte (periodista)|lt=Óscar Ugarte|es}}.{{Cite web |title=Orgullo Gay se celebra en la calle |trans-title=Gay Pride celebrated on the street |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2006/06/28/0001/18/A203E7BDCAA74347B7FB1B5E1BD162F7.html/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Universo|date=28 June 2006 }} Although they did not have permits to hold the event, they went ahead with it since, being a presidential election year, they knew that no politician would want to get into controversy over the event. The festival was repeated in 2007 and 2008.{{Cite web |date=2012-07-01 |title=La pelea que sacó a los homosexuales de la oscuridad |trans-title=The fight that brought homosexuals out of obscurity |url=https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/sociedad/6/la-pelea-que-saco-a-los-homosexuales-de-la-oscuridad |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Telégrafo}}

During the third edition of this festival, held on June 28, 2008, and organized by Famivida, attendees marched for the first time on Delta Avenue, making it the first LGBT Pride March in Guayaquil.{{Cite web |date=2008-06-21 |title=Comunidad gay organizaun festival |trans-title=Gay community organizes a festival |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2008/06/21/0001/18/35F6FE537E674C148CC550E955E7B3C7.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=El Universo}}

File:Lía Burbano en 2024.jpgOn March 8, 2003, Lía Burbano, one of the members of Famivida, organized a women's meeting at the foundation that was very well received. As a result of this meeting, they agreed to form a group within Famivida under the name of Mujer & Mujer that would bring together lesbian women, thus becoming the first lesbian group in the city. The group grew in the following years and in 2005, participated in the National Lesbian Encounter organized by the Quito foundation Causana.

Due to disagreements with Famivida leaders, the members of {{Interlanguage link|Mujer & Mujer|lt=Mujer & Mujer|es}} later decided to separate and form their own foundation.

• {{Interlanguage link|Diversidad sexual en Guayaquil|lt=Sexual diversity in Guayaquil|es}}

• Timeline of LGBT history in Ecuador

• Guayaquil Pride

Category:LGBTQ organisations in Ecuador

Category:HIV/AIDS activism

Category:HIV/AIDS prevention organizations