What inspired you to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Global LGBTQ+ Health, and why do you feel this journal is needed now?

For years, I've worked as a reviewer for various journals, seeking to have research produced in Latin America published in journals in the Global North. This is an opportunity to continue doing so. I believe many excellent works could be published and read, and sometimes they simply require a good journal and a rigorous review process. That's why I'm here.

Violence against our communities continues, and this violence continues to have negative consequences for our mental health. Therefore, we need to continue documenting this violence and its effects, and this journal can be a good platform for doing so.

Furthermore, for me, fighting against this violence is not only something linked to the research I conduct or my professional practice; it is also part of my ethical and political contribution to reducing this violence towards our populations.

How does your professional journey shape the way you approach LGBTQ+ health research and editorial leadership?

I have spent years researching violence against our populations and its effects; I have observed this in diverse contexts such as health, education, and justice. I collaborate with researchers from various countries and continents, trying to document this violence. Therefore, my background undoubtedly has an impact on how I approach this journal and its development.

What is your vision for the journal in its first few years, and how do you hope it will influence global conversations around this topic?

In these current times of backlash and of attacks against certain communities in very diverse countries, I believe that a main emphasis of this journal is its affirmative, non-pathologising, and non-stigmatising view of our populations.

Therefore, a special emphasis on works that address trans identities will be a focus for me. It will also be important to address the characteristics of the current violence against our communities and how to confront it. This violence is intersectional and cannot be addressed exclusively from a single discipline. Interdisciplinary works that emphasise intersectional aspects and originate from contexts in the Global South will be a focus of my vision as Editor-in-Chief.

What emerging or under-researched areas in LGBTQ+ health do you hope the journal will help bring to the forefront?

Works that address the effect on physical health have been little carried out in some contexts, and work that examines the differential impact of violence on health according to identity - particularly how intersectional violence generates specific health effects - will also be highly valued. In some contexts, scales are not available to measure certain processes, so scale adaptation and validation processes will also be valued.

What advice would you give early-career researchers who want to contribute to this field?

Believe in their research abilities, even if they come from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It is essential to step outside our local contexts and connect with the world through networks or platforms like our journal to showcase their work.

Encourage them to believe that, even if their native language is not English, they can still publish their articles and share their research with the world. There is a network of people who already have jobs in these areas who are willing to help, collaborate and contribute so that young researchers can develop.

Global LGBTQ+ Health is now open for submissions, and all publication costs will be covered by Springer Nature until 31 December 2026. Submit now!