In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, largely due to the work of LGBT activists like Esteban Paulon.
Two hours outside of Guatemala City, a winding road leads to a weathered church in the center of Patzún, Chimaltenango, a predominantly Kaqchikel Mayan community. The small city is lined with electronics shops, ATMs, and mom-and-pop corner stores; outside the church, women dressed in traditional Mayan textiles, floral woven tops, and brightly-colored striped skirts sell tortillas, fruit, and small trinkets at covered stalls. Even after a period of state repression against indigenous people during a 36-year civil war that ended in 1996, the predominantly Mayan population has preserved certain traditions, including the ancestral medicinal practices.
