Gonzalo Abarca
Gonzalo Abarca | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 20, 1954 Riobamba, Ecuador |
| Occupation | LGBT rights activist |
| Known for | Founding vice president of Coccinelle Association; activism leading to decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador |
Gonzalo Abarca (born May 20, 1954, in Riobamba, Ecuador) is a prominent Ecuadorian advocate for LGBT rights. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Coccinelle Association, serving as its inaugural vice president; this organization was the first LGBTQ group to gain official legal recognition within Ecuador. Abarca was instrumental in the movement that led to the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador.
Biography
During his early years in Guayaquil, Abarca witnessed mistreatment directed at LGBT people, with a particular focus on trans women. Throughout the 1980s, he became recognized for assisting in securing release petitions for incarcerated trans women and gay men. Abarca identifies as bisexual.
In 1994, he moved to Quito and strengthened his connection to the transgender community through his relationship with Valeria, a transgender woman. There, he continued to facilitate release petitions for LGBT detainees, a procedure frequently manipulated by law enforcement for monetary benefit.
Founding of Coccinelle
After encountering activist Purita Pelayo in 1997, Abarca joined forces with the Fedaeps foundation’s initiative aimed at abolishing laws criminalizing homosexuality. Alongside Estrella Estévez and Pelayo, he represented the transgender community during critical discussions. Initially called "Grupo de La Mariscal" after their workplace district, the collective adopted the name Coccinelle—a suggestion from Abarca inspired by the French entertainer he admired.
To fulfill a prerequisite for submitting a case to the Constitutional Tribunal of Ecuador, Abarca coordinated street campaigns that gathered over a thousand signatures, mobilizing Coccinelle members across Quito and Guayaquil. He was one of the plaintiffs in lawsuit Case No. 111-97-TC, which culminated on November 25, 1997, with the Constitutional Tribunal declaring article 516 of the Ecuadorian Criminal Code unconstitutional and thereby decriminalizing homosexuality.
Following Coccinelle’s official registration as an association—the first openly LGBT group in Ecuador to secure such status—Purita Pelayo assumed the presidency while Abarca served as vice president from 1997 until 1999.
Later Activism
During the Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly of 2007 and 2008, Abarca submitted proposals representing LGBT interests, several of which were incorporated.
After departing from Coccinelle, he directed the human rights division at Famivida for a decade and remained engaged with Fundación Ecuatoriana Equidad as well as the LGBT Citizen Observatory. In 2012, acting on behalf of the latter organization, he filed a complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office against journalist José Delgado for alleged discriminatory behavior. This action resulted in an agreement whereby Delgado committed to participating in awareness-raising workshops organized by the group.