Violence, toleration, or inclusion? Exploring variation in the experiences of LGBT combatants in Colombia

Abstract

While scholars have started to pay increased attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons serving in state security forces, little is known of the experiences of LGBT combatants operating in non-state armed groups in conflict settings. This article explores the experiences of LGBT persons from three different armed groups in Colombia. While LGBT combatants are often in a highly vulnerable position, this article reveals large differences between armed groups, as well as important exceptions within groups that contribute to LGBT combatants' varied experiences. In conclusion, I argue that understanding these variations in LGBT combatants' experiences has important policy and programme implications and provides opportunities for more inclusive peacebuilding processes in Colombia and beyond.

Violencia sexual derivada del conflicto

“…ej., Schulz, 2018;Edström & Dolan, 2019;Traunmüller et al, 2019), la acumulación de conocimiento se ve obstaculizada por la falta de datos confiables. Este es también el caso de las investigaciones sobre violencia sexual contra minorías sexuales y de género, aunque existen estudios de casos detallados de, por ejemplo, violencia sexual contra combatientes lgbt en las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FaRC) (Thylin, 2020). Por último, no hay datos suficientes sobre combatientes víctimas y supervivientes que son objeto de violencia sexual dentro de las organizaciones armadas; una excepción es la investigación sobre agresión sexual dentro de las fuerzas armadas de Estados Unidos (p.…”

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

“…Although the literature on male survivors is growing (e.g., Schulz 2018, Edström & Dolan 2019, Traunmüller et al 2019, the accumulation of knowledge is hampered by the stark lack of reliable data. This is also the case with research on sexual violence against sexual and gender minorities, although there are detailed case studies of, for example, sexual violence against LGBT combatants in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) (Thylin 2020). Finally, there are insufficient data on combatant victims and survivors who face sexual violence from within armed organizations; research on sexual assault within the US armed forces (e.g., Wood & Toppelberg 2017) is an exception.…”

Sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (SOGIE) in violent conflict and peacebuilding

“…These interventions represent one in only a handful of cases, in which conflict-related experiences of GSM have been officially recognised in transitional justice processesthe first being Peru's truth and reconciliation commission, where documentation was far less comprehensive. The CNMH studies are complemented by academic research on experiences of LGBTQ civilians, activists, and combatants (see Serrano-Amaya, 2015Thylin, 2018Thylin, , 2019 and local grassroots documentation of the experiences of GSM individuals and communities, including among historically marginalised sections of society such as Afro-Colombians. This research, and importantly also Colombian GSM activism, underscore the need to consider GSM life experiences and positions of agency and vulnerability through an intersectional lensthat is, examining how age, ethnicity, class, urbanity/rurality, dis/ability and other social identity markers interact with diverse SOGIE positionalities (López Castañeda and Myrttinen, 2014).…”

“…2 Nonetheless, there is also a tacit acceptance of GSM in some circles and toleratedbut marginalisedcommunities of trans persons openly living their gender identities. In spite of their mostly homo-, bi-, and transphobic attitudes and ideologies, various armed groups did nonetheless allow LGBTQ individuals to join their ranks, though they often had to navigate their positions as combatants and the degree to which they expressed their SOGIE, often at the risk of death (Thylin, 2018(Thylin, , 2019.…”