Pre-colonial times Prior to
Spanish colonisation, multiple groups inhabited modern-day Argentina. These include the
Mapuche and the
Guaraní people, both of whom accepted homosexual relations or viewed them with indifference. Traditionally, the Mapuche recognised a
third gender called . The Mapuche did not possess the typical Western notions of sex or sexuality. Indeed, individuals were regarded as neither male or female, but as some sort of mix between the two. would typically play certain important societal roles, including being a
machi, a Mapuche shaman. The Guaraní people are also on record as having accepted homosexuality. The arrival of the
Spanish Empire in the 16th century resulted in the spread of
Christianity in Argentina, which in turn introduced negative attitudes towards homosexuality. The Spanish reportedly referenced the
indigenous peoples as "savages" for engaging in homosexual activity, and called the Mapuche the "sodomites of Patagonia". Sodomy was apparently one of the reasons the Spanish
conquistadors declared war against the local peoples. Following the creation of Spanish governorates in
South America, sodomy became punishable with burning at the stake.
Independence and early 20th century Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1887, when
Law No. 1,920 () enacted Argentina's first federal Penal Code. The Penal Code made no reference to consensual sexual acts between adults. During the 19th century, writings on homosexuality treated it as a medical
pathology, an accusation to be levied against political opponents or something brought into the nation by foreigners. Police harassment of homosexuals is reported to have increased during the
first military coup of 1930 which initiated the
Infamous Decade. The
cadet scandal of 1942 led to the most violent persecution against gay men in Argentine history, with a series of police raids and defamations that managed to imprison many homosexuals, led others into exile and resulted in two suicides. It led to the enabling of brothels in the vicinity of military barracks in 1944. Reports on the policies during the
Peronist terms (1946 to 1955) are vague and contradictory. In 1946,
Eva Perón extended her personal protection to
Miguel de Molina, and some reports claim that
Juan Perón ordered the police and the military not to engage in gay bashings.
Dirty War The first LGBT rights organization to be established was
Nuestro Mundo in 1967 by Héctor Anabitarte. It represented the
homosexual liberation front that sought an alliance with the political left in order to advance civil rights. Driving the creation of
Nuestro Mundo was the dictatorship of
Juan Carlos Onganía whose regime heavily suppressed and subjugated members of the LGBT community. Although a landmark moment in the LGBT rights movement in Argentina as a whole, the creation of
Nuestro Mundo did not usher in an age of reforms nor increased rights for those in the community. Instead, the group generally avoided being politically active and was primarily concerned with bringing awareness to the oppression the LGBT community faced. Although
Nuestro Mundo itself did not have many successes, it inspired the creation of other LGBT groups, such as
Safo, a lesbian organization.
Nuestro Mundo eventually combined with other activist groups—
Safo,
El Grupo Profesionales,
Emanuel,
Alborada,
Bandera Negrea, and
Eros—to establish the
Frente de Liberación Homosexual (FLH) in 1971, which lasted until 1976.
Contemporary times during Buenos Aires'
pride parade in 2010 The return to democracy in 1983 allowed for the creation of an LGBT rights movement. During this initial era of democratization, the first gay bar in Argentina opened in Buenos Aires in 1983 and the LGBT community began to become more open, Out of this came the founding of the
Comunidad Homosexual Argentina (CHA) in April 1984, by among others
Carlos Jáuregui. The organization maintained its strength and uniformity through the 1980s, before beginning to splinter in the 1990s. After both the creation of FALGBT and the legalization of same-sex marriage, there has been more visibility for LGBT people in Argentina. For instance, in 2007, the International Gay World Cup was held in
Buenos Aires, with the Argentinian team winning. In recent years, there has also been an effort to encourage LGBT tourists to visit Buenos Aires, with the hope that the increased tourism will help the economy.
Agence France-Presse reported that
Aníbal Fernández called for the impeachment of the judges that made that decision, describing it as "one of the biggest disgraces we've ever seen in this country". ==Recognition of same-sex relationships==