Silence in dispute: Legal discourses on sexual violence against LGBTI+ people in El Salvador

The social phenomenon of sexual violence is part of the daily life of LGBTI+. Until very recently, this phenomenon received answers in the Salvadoran judicial system. This text aims to analyze three criminal proceedings on sexual violence against LGBTI+ identities, studying legal discourses to better understand the dynamics of violence and the use of sexuality as a punishment tool against LGBTI+ people. In conclusion, I highlight that sexual violence is imbricated by a web of power, domination, and subordination relations that goes beyond being a sexual act with a reproductive purpose; on the contrary, we face a social process of sexual and gender hierarchies. Although there are judicialized cases of sexual violence against LGBTI+ people, the Salvadoran legal grammar is slowly recognizing sexual orientation, identity, and gender expression.