As South America becomes more liberal, this landlocked nation is in reverse. Growing up, Ronald Digalo knew he could never indulge what was in his heart. “The church taught me that I came into the world to have a family,” he says, and so he did, raising two children and becoming a Mormon religious leader. But something was missing, and his family and faith fell apart after a painful divorce. In the aftermath, Digalo began to explore his homosexuality. It was scary, in a predominantly Catholic country where old stigmas remain. “It’s difficult to be gay in Paraguay,” the 35-year-old says. In fact, it’s getting tougher, and a glimmer of hope that had emerged for the LGBT community in recent years is fading all too soon. | 
