It’s a law that, under the guise of protecting religious freedom, institutionalises discrimination. It recognises the right of all people to profess their religion and express their beliefs without fear of reprisals or arbitrary restrictions. In practice, however, it functions as a licence to discriminate, as it allows health professionals, public employees and state-regulated professionals, such as lawyers, psychologists and social workers, to refuse to provide assistance if doing so would contradict their religious beliefs.

This has had a devastating impact, particularly on trans and non-binary people. Although the text prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, sex and sexual orientation, it explicitly excludes gender identity. This deliberate omission facilitates discrimination and removes all legal protection for trans and non-binary people. There have already been reports of people denied assistance at police stations because the sole officer present refused to help on the basis of this law.

All of the relevant professional associations, including the Bar Association, Counselling Association, Medical Association, Psychology Association and Social Work Association, have spoken out against this law because it forces their members to violate their ethical codes, which prohibit discrimination.

This is an arbitrary, vague and dangerous law that, although specifically targeting LGBTQI+ people, could set a precedent for discrimination against anyone.

The law is unconstitutional, and we will not wait for complaints from people experiencing discrimination to mount further before we take action. That’s why we have decided on a two-pronged strategy: as well as maintaining social mobilisation against the law, we are preparing a legal case to challenge it. With the support of specialised legal organisations, we are drafting a lawsuit seeking to have the law declared unconstitutional.

However, we recognise that this legal battle must be accompanied by robust grassroots efforts. To achieve our goal, we need people’s support. People must also be aware of their rights in order to defend them. To this end, we are organising a national assembly and eight regional assemblies to inform people of their rights, listen to their concerns and empower them to report abuses and confront discriminatory agendas directly.

We are also making the most of the autonomy we have. Although Puerto Rico remains a colony, we have some freedom to make our own decisions, provided there are no federal impositions. To make the most of his freedom, people must pressure their legislators and demand change.

Finally, our struggle is part of a broader international movement. We know we are not alone in this fight. We have collaborated with organisations in Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Spain and the USA that are facing similar challenges. Thanks to these alliances and their solidarity, we have managed to raise awareness of the situation in Puerto Rico beyond the island and gain international support for our cause. We are absolutely determined to see this law repealed and the dignity of all people in Puerto Rico respected.

With his rhetoric against diversity, equality and inclusion, Trump’s return to power has empowered fundamentalist groups and given them tacit permission to attack us.

The case of Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón — Puerto Rico’s representative in the US Congress — illustrates this transformation perfectly. Before allying herself with Trump, she was a moderate who stood up for the rights of LGBTQI+ people. Now, however, she supports anti-LGBTQI+ legislation. Her strategy is particularly insidious: unlike Trump, she doesn’t do it openly, but quietly, and this makes the damage just as bad, if not worse, because it goes unnoticed.

But we are clear about our values. We defend our rights and those of other minorities. We oppose the migrant raids carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, we reject the death penalty and we uphold the solidarity values enshrined in our constitution. The principles of social justice and solidarity we uphold are incompatible with Trump’s views and those of the US far right. They are however the essence of Puerto Rico, so we are determined to defend them.