Oaxaca approves sports law reform for LGBTIQ+ inclusion

The Congress of the State of Oaxaca has approved a reform to the Physical Culture and Sports Law to ensure the inclusion and non-discrimination of the LGBTIQ+ community in state sports. The measure passed with 32 votes in favor.

The reform modifies specific articles of the law to replace the imprecise term ‘sexual preference’ with legally and internationally recognized concepts, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual characteristics. Legislators noted that the previous terminology was conceptually incorrect and could suggest that identity is a voluntary choice subject to modification.

This legislative change aims to eliminate barriers to human rights and provide legal certainty within the sporting sector, addressing data from the National Survey on Discrimination (ENADIS) which indicates high levels of discrimination faced by the LGBTIQ+ community.