44 LGTBI Candidates To Participate in Mexican Elections

Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) registers a record number of candidates representing the LGBTI community for subnational elections to take place on June 6.

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Electoral Counselor Adriana Favela explained that INE had implemented new rules demanding political parties to nominate Indigenous, disabled, Afro-Mexican, migrant, and sexually diverse people for these elections. 

INE conducted a questionary to 5,300 candidates from several political positions. At least 1.9 percent of them identified themselves as part of the LGBT community, while 44 official candidacies were presented.

Furthermore, the Citizens Movement gathered 30 percent of LGTBI candidacies, followed by Social Progressive Networks (16.5 percent) and the Democratic Revolution Party (13.5 percent). 

"We are going to build a State where we can live without fear, which implies having institutional policies that protect us instead of making us feel threatened," Nuevo Leon State's first openly gay candidate Roberto Alviso said. 

In June, 93.5 million Mexicans are called to vote for 500 federal lawmakers, 15 governors, representatives for 30 local congresses, and 1,900 city councils. 

LGTBI communities "have to be represented because that is how our Mexican society is. We have a diversity of people, and they can help us look for better solutions to problems," Favela stressed.