Groups in the two countries are lobbying for a gender identity law, however. Romero said a next step will be to seek a law protecting sexual orientation and gender identity covering education, work and security. In the last year, the prosecutor's office has updated its computer systems to include a box where people can choose their gender identity, in particular to help identify and track hate crimes. LGBTQ communities have won significant gains in some other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years, although activists say discrimination persists. "I had to change my name legally, for work reasons, because I handle money," said Castillo, who has not undergone gender-reassignment surgery.

Source: ABC News July 31, 2016 15:45 UTC