Two Cancún Discrimination Cases Involving LGBTQ+ Students Referred to Human Rights Commission

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Two cases of discrimination against LGBTQ+ students at high schools in Cancún have been referred to the Human Rights Commission this year, according to a municipal official.

Nohamy Hermida Nieves, director of the municipality’s Office for Sexual Diversity, said the schools involved were not identified, but both cases received support from her department before being handed over to the commission for follow-up.

“There are cases that come to us; we have referred them directly to the Human Rights Commission, with which we are working,” she said.

In response, the department is planning a new round of activities at middle schools and high schools to address discrimination, bullying, sexual diversity, and sexual and reproductive health. The sessions are expected to begin in the second half of October and will focus on schools where misinformation or discriminatory treatment toward LGBTQ+ students has been identified.

Hermida Nieves said her department met this week with CBTIS 272, a technical high school in the city, to discuss possible activities, but stressed that the two discrimination cases did not occur there. She also said students from other schools have contacted the department through social media requesting similar sessions. “Many people, especially young people, have sent me messages asking us to go to their schools,” she said.

The office has also detected a pattern of LGBTQ+ people who dropped out of school and later sought help to return. Hermida Nieves said her department has received “many cases” of people who did not finish middle school and now want to resume their studies, some after legally changing their identity.

She attributed many of those dropouts to bullying. “Many people from the LGBTQ+ community left because of the systematic bullying that existed before; now it has gone down, but we are working on it,” she said.

The department is coordinating with educational institutions to support those who want to complete their studies and, where applicable, to process documentation consistent with their identity. The October activities will target not only students but also teachers, administrative staff, and parents.