Trends in psychosocial research on LGBTIQ+ populations in Latin America: Findings, challenges, and concerns

Psychosocial research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) populations from Latin America is relatively recent. Initially, research focused mainly on prejudice, using qualitative techniques. Studies on LGBTIQ+ populations, using more sophisticated psychosocial theories such as those of Herek or Meyer, began in the mid-1990s. This study deals with surveys and scales based on non-probabilistic samples, LGBTIQ+ populations being the first studied. In the early 2000s, queer and/or LGBTIQ+ theories were introduced, and research has been much more interdisciplinary. This paper describes the theoretical frameworks used in LGBTIQ+ research in Latin America and examines distinctions in the findings from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Future research must involve cross-cultural studies, systematic or scoping reviews, and studies on non-binary populations. Finally, the conditions for reimaging LGBTIQ+ research in Latin America are discussed.