Despite recent advances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex + (LGBTQI+) rights in Ecuador, such as the Constitutional Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in 2019, progress remains to be made on the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in politics, including continued hostility from public officials, a lack of rights protections on the local level and political parties that lack internal structures designed to take LGBTQI+ voices into account. To strengthen the participation of marginalized populations in political processes, NDI collaborated with the Ecuadorian organization Diverse Dialogue (Diálogo Diverso, DD) on a campaign to promote LGBTQI+ visibility, participation and inclusion in the February 2023 municipal elections. DD and NDI used the 2023 elections as an entry point for LGBTQI+ activists in Cuenca, Guayaquil, and Quito to engage with political parties and candidates to increase the visibility of issues important to the community and the incorporation of solutions to these issues into candidates’ electoral platforms. DD worked with candidates from nine political parties and conducted educational workshops with party leadership at the national and local levels to increase their knowledge and acceptance of inclusion policies and LGBTQI+ rights, the consequences of anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination and the international status of LGBTQI+ rights. After attending the workshops, DD found that candidates showed enthusiasm about solving problems facing the LGBTQI+ community. 

The DD organizing effort also sought to strengthen the advocacy capacity of local LGBTQI+ organizations and their ability to develop policy agendas. With NDI support, DD trained local LGBTQI+ activist groups to identify policy priorities, clearly define common terms and concepts related to the LGBTQI+ community for the general public and decision-makers and increase engagement with political parties. Participating organizations then worked together to develop specific agendas to support the LGBTQI+ community in target cities and hosted forums at which 46 candidates for local office signed the commitments. One of the forums included the participation of one of the first transgender congresswomen in Mexico, an inspirational presence who discussed the practical benefits of political inclusion of LGBTQI+ people. The policy agendas addressed health, education and housing policies that impact the LGBTQI+ community and will serve as a baseline to monitor the commitments made and help generate ongoing dialogue between participating organizations and newly-elected municipal officials. The forums also involved the signing of accords between DD and the participating candidates. This campaign lifted up voices from these communities in connection to the recent electoral campaign and also established contacts between political parties and civil society organizations, opening the door to further dialogue between these groups in the future.

Participating candidates expressed enthusiasm about working on priorities highlighted in the LGBTQI+ policy platforms. For example, Pabel Muñoz, the candidate for Mayor of Quito for Citizen Revolution (Revolución Ciudadana) stated, “We are going to have inclusion foci in our work plan. We are going to incorporate protocols to better attend to priority groups. In addition to access to services, the quality of services will be addressed by an ordinance that establishes protocols on the provision of municipal services.” Muñoz ultimately won his election as the next mayor of Ecuador’s largest city, establishing an invaluable relationship between local LGBTQI+ rights activists and the mayor-elect of Quito, allowing them to monitor his progress on these issues and hold the party accountable. 

DD also implemented a public communications campaign that raised awareness for diversity, equity and inclusion within the political process, placing an emphasis on the importance of LGBTQI+ leadership and political participation. This media campaign involved videos from 12 public figures and five candidates expressing their support for LGBTQI+ rights and the community. DD also conducted 26 press interviews and generated articles for 90 media sources. The visibility generated by this campaign created internal and external pressure on decision-makers to support LGBTQI+ rights and leadership, as it helped convince additional candidates to seek out DD and sign the previously mentioned accord and educated the public on the need both for policies that support the LGBTQI+ community and for strong LGBTQI+ leadership. 

Along with their efforts surrounding the elections, DD continued to monitor public forums to respond to attacks on LGBTQI+ rights in Ecuador and take advantage of opportunities to advance public knowledge and acceptance of LGBTQI+ rights. For example, in October, former president Lucio Gutiérrez stated in an interview that gay men should not be members of the police or armed forces. DD responded by offering to meet with Gutiérrez to discuss LGBTQI+ rights. Gutiérrez agreed to the meeting, in which DD shared educational material developed with NDI assistance. In response, the former president clarified his position and agreed to be trained by DD on LGBTQI+ rights.

With NDI’s support, DD’s campaign increased the visibility of the LGBTQI+ community’s policy priorities and promoted LGBTQI+ rights in Ecuador. NDI has been working in Ecuador since 2002 to foster greater cooperation between political parties and civil society to better address inclusion and equality concerns. NDI’s support for local organizations and their outreach to candidates forms a solid foundation on which to build future progress for the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQI+ people and their role in politics.

Author: Owen Fitzgerald (Program Associate), Katy Mudge (Senior Advisor) 

NDI’s engagement with this program is implemented with the support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) program.

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all. NDI has assisted LGBTQI+ leaders and activists in securing their rights in more than 100 countries.