María Gómez

María Gómez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology at Saint Mary's University (SMU) in Halifax, where she has taught since July 2016. A Canadian-Colombian academic and human rights activist, she previously held positions at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Eugene Lang College in New York City, and Dalhousie University. She co-founded the Red Latinoamericana de académicas/os del derecho (RED ALAS), serving as general coordinator from 2012 to 2014, and was Regional Program Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at OutRight Action International (2013-2016).

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Political Science (Major: Political Theory, Minor: Comparative Politics), New School for Social Research (2006)
• M.A. in Gender Studies & Feminist Theory, New School for Social Research (1997)
• Graduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Law, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (1995)
• B.A. and Licentiatam in Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (1992)

Dr. Gómez's research centers on State responses to prejudice and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, with expertise in hate crime politics, gender/sexuality studies, criminological theory, socio-legal studies, and cultural criminology. Her work critically examines human rights frameworks in Latin America, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ communities, and she teaches courses on criminological theories, hate crimes, and crime in global cinema.

Analysis of her 2013-2024 publications reveals a consistent focus on violence against LGBTQ+ populations in Latin America, with significant contributions to trans rights documentation through country-specific human rights reports (Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile). Her scholarship bridges criminology, gender studies, and human rights advocacy, emphasizing arbitrary detentions, masculinities, and prejudice-based violence while engaging with inter-American legal systems and policy reform.

She actively contributes to human rights discourse through expert testimony at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (2019), media engagements, and ongoing advocacy. Dr. Gómez serves on the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union Executive (Secretary since 2024) and maintains affiliations with RED ALAS, OutRight International, and Astraea Foundation.