Monthly Archives: October 2014

Claudia, Transgender Activist/Author, Santiago, Chile

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong


photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong


photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truon

photo by Kevin Truon

Claudia, in her own words: “Ser mujer trans significa reconocerme como persona, con derechos humanos, con autodeterminación para guiar y elegir lo que yo deseo hacer, vivir, sentir. en mi vida. Es una oportunidad de vivir la diversidad y educar, señalando que ser persona trans no es ser una persona enferma y es un camino legítimo en el que a pesar de muchas dificultades, rechazos, discriminaciones, falta de leyes que nos protegan y políticas públicas, se puede disfrutar de lo simple de la vida, siempre mirándo con un sentido de resilencia y de fortaleza el camino, a pesar de discriminaciones, falta de empleo, humillaciones y cuestionamientos por elegir un género y vivirlo. Es difícil ver una forma positiva en la transexualidad cuando la sociedad en forma completa te invisibiliza y te rechaza por ser diferente, te patologiza y te encasilla en prejuicios. Pero he aprendido a no ver lo negativo que las personas ven y siempre ver que de toda dificultad, menosprecio e intolerancia, puede nacer una oportunidad y una esperanza.

El gran error a mi juicio acerca de las personas trans, es que las personas y las ciencias médicas y de la psicología y una sociedad completa ve generalmente en el ser trans, una enfermedad psiquiátrica, porque el binarismo, la heteronormatividad, el patriarcado y la medicina nos ha hecho ver siempre como enfermos, peligrosos, desestabilizadores de las normas del género, de la sexualidad. Incluso en algunas universidades se enseña que somos enfermos mentales. Y eso no es así. Es un gran error por ello luchamos día a día aquí. Incluso la organización mundial de la salud está trabajándo para despatologizar la transexualidad. Nosotros la sociedad civil del mundo estamos exigiendo que la transexualidad deje de ser considerada una enfermedad y un trastorno mental.

Primero darme cuenta o tomar razón en mi infancia a la edad de 4 años, de que mi sentir interno mi vida, mis vivencias, mi visión de las cosas y de mi entorno y mi conexión con mis sentimientos eran claramente femeninas a pesar de haber nacido con sexo genital masculino. Ello provocaba una transgresión a mi entorno, a mis padres, a la iglesia, a la escuela. Yo en la infancia me transformaba así, en una transgresión a lo establecido, a lo normativo. Luego en mi adolescencia luchar contra los cambios físicos que se producían por la naturaleza, por los cambios hormonales masculinos y luchar contra ello marcó mi vida, pero lo logré. Tener la oportunidad de poder acceder a estudiar y gracias a mi esfuerzo poder estudiar la carrera de obstetricia y transformarme en profesional de la salud, fuerón logros importántes como mujer trans. Una golpiza por parte de hombres neonazis, casi me hace perder la vida, casi me asesinaron y me dispuso esta situación la oportunidad de recuperarme y luchar por mis derechos. Por ello me transformé en activista y luchar por mi dignidad y mi identidad de género en Chile. Luego trabajar en el sistema de salud fue muy motivador, pero lo malo era que siempre vivía la discriminación por ser una mujer trans. No ha sido nada fácil superar todo aquello, pero he sobrevivido. Hace 3 años me despidieron de un empleo en un hospital y por ser una mujer trans y nadie me daba trabajo, solamente podía sobrevivir en lo que pudiese aprender. Estuve muy enferma, mi ánimo muy deprimido, muchas personas malas querían que hiciera cosas ilegales para sobrevivir. Y mi novio me ayudó a encontrar un trabajo en fast food donde pude escondida poder trabajar ya que no tenía mi cédula de identificación con mi nombre claudia y mi sexo femenino. Mediante una demanda civil, pude lograr sin exigencias de cirugías y exámenes vejatorios poder obtener mi identificación y todo ha valido la pena, me fortaleci, me transformé en una mujer luchadora e inspiradora, dando el mensaje de que en medio de la adversidad, se puede renacer como el ave fenix.

Me hice una persona pública, debido a mi historia, ya que en revistas y reportajes en televisión y radios contaban mi historia de vida y la presentaban en Chile, como algo único, impresionante, una historia de fortaleza y valor, una historia de ir contra la corriente siendo persona trans y de luchar por ser feliz sin perder la esperanza. Luego me transformé en una líder que defiende los derechos de todas las personas trans de chile y de la comunidad gay en su conjunto. Comencé a asistir a conferencias de la sociedad civil y a educar a parlamentarios y eso hago hoy. Y cuento mi vida a través de facebook en un portal que se llama el diario vivir de una mujer transexual chilena.Estoy escribiendo un libro sobre mi vida, un libro motivador a luchar y defender tus ideales, tus sueños y tu identidad.

(The gay community in Santiago) En diversa, es multicultural, es organizada, es alegre, es solidaria, nos divertimos mucho a pesar de la intolerancia y discriminaciones, por falta de leyes que nos protegan y a pesar de que se nos patologiza, a pesar de que nuestras familias no nos comprenden debido a influencias conservadoras y prejuicios que hacen daño, estamos luchándo. Aquí tenemos muchos problemas y creo que el más grave es que niños trans son invisibilizados, sufren bullyng y adolescentes gays, lesbianas, trans sufren humillaciones y no tenemos leyes que protegan a la infancia de nuestra comunidad. Pero estamos luchándo por derechos civiles, por leyes, por cambios y políticas públicas que nos permitan desarrollarnos.Somos un grupo humano muy empoderado. Nuestras marchas son pacíficas y le demostramos al mundo que en Chile somos un movimiento social que se une a la esperanza y los hechos, a fin de cambiar a una sociedad intolerante, para construir un mejor pais, libre de prejuicios, de intolerancias y humillaciones simplemente por amar, por querer casarnos, por exigir nuestros derechos humanos, por exigir una ley de identidad de género, un acuerdo de vida en pareja, poder adoptar niños y dar amor y ser felices y contribuir a la sociedad con amor.Todos trabajamos con amor por estos objetivos.

Que se mire al espejo que se pregunte si es feliz, que se vea a si mismo como una persona que puede luchar por sus sueños, que puede marchar, que puede buscar ayuda si no puede hacerlo por si misma, que puede en su comunidad ser lo que desee ser y elegir como vivir su vida. Que a pesar de muchas dificultades sea una persona que siempre vea el vaso medio lleno y que sea capaz de ser una persona que luche por sus derechos, que se una a la sociedad civil, que trabajemos juntos para lograr leyes, politicas públicas y que con su historia de vida le diga a una país como Chile que tenemos los mismos derechos que cualquier persona, que somos ciudadanos, que podemos elegir, que podemos empoderarnos, que podemos ser líderes, que podemos contribuir a hacer cambios, para construir una sociedad pluralista, donde se pueda ser libre de pensar y de decidir sobre tu propio cuerpo de amar sin restricciones ni prejuicios. Para así contribuir a ser mejores personas y erradicar las injusticias y decir que el hecho de que ser parte de la comunidad de Gays, lesbianas, trans, bisexuales, intersexuales de Chile es un orgullo y una oportunidad de educar a un país que necesita de la diversidad para avanzar y construir un país cada día mejor.”

In English:

“Being a trans woman means recognizing me as a person, recognizing my human rights, and having the self-determination to guide and choose what I want to do, live, and feel in my life. It is an opportunity to experience the diversity and education, noting that being a trans person is not to be sick person, it is a legitimate way to live in spite of many difficulties, rejection, discrimination, lack of laws that protect. We can enjoy the simplicity of life, always beheld with a sense of resilience and strength in a way, despite discrimination, unemployment, humiliation and questions of choosing a genre and life. It is difficult to see a positive effect on transsexuality when society makes you completely invisible and will reject you for being different, you and I are pigeonholed by pathologies and prejudice. But I’ve learned not to focus on what people see negatively and always to see that with every hardship, scorn and intolerance, can be born a chance and a hope.

The big mistake in my opinion people make about trans people is people and medical sciences and psychology and an entire society generally that sees being trans as a psychiatric illness, because the binary, heteronormative, patriarchy and medicine has always shown us as sick, dangerous, destabilizing of gender norms, sexuality. Even some universities are taught that we are mentally ill. And that is not so. It is a great challenge to fight for it every day here. Even the World Health Organization is working to de-pathologize transsexuality. We the civil society in the world are demanding that transsexualism no longer be considered a disease and a mental disorder.

I first realized in my childhood at the age of 4 years, my inner feeling that my life, my experiences, my view of things and my surroundings and my connection with my feelings were clearly female despite being born with male genitals. This caused a transgression of my environment, my parents, church, and school. I transformed my childhood and, in a violation of the established, to the normative. Then in my teens I had to fight the physical changes occurring in nature, for male hormonal changes and the fight marked my life, but I managed. Having the opportunity to access education and my efforts to pursue a career in obstetrics and transformative healthcare, were important achievements as trans women. A neo-Nazi beat by men, almost making ​​me lose my life. He almost killed me and I decided this situation was an opportunity to recover and fight for my rights. So I became an activist to fight for my dignity and gender identity in Chile. Working in the health system was very motivating, but the trouble was that I always lived discrimination for being a trans woman. It has not been easy to overcome everything, but I’ve survived. 3 years ago I was laid off from a job in a hospital and being a trans woman, nobody gave me a job. I could only survive in what I could learn. I was very sick, very depressed with my spirits, many bad people wanted me to do illegal things to survive. And my boyfriend helped me find a job in fast food where I hid to work because I had no ID card with my name as Claudia. Through a lawsuit, I could achieve without demands of surgeries and humiliating tests to get my ID and everything was worth it, I had strength, I became a fighter and inspiring woman, giving the message that in the midst of adversity, you can be reborn like the phoenix bird.

I became a public person, because of my history and magazines and television reports and radios had my life story and presented it to Chile, as a unique, amazing story of strength and courage, a history of going against the current being trans and striving to be a happy person without losing hope. Then I transformed into a leader who defends the rights of all persons in Chile, the trans and gay community as a whole. I started attending conferences and educating civil society and Parliamentarians to do that today. And I recount my life through Facebook in a portal called “the daily lives of a Chilean transsexual woman.” I am writing a book about my life, a motivator to fight and defend your ideals, your dreams and your identity.

(The gay community in Santiago) is diverse, multicultural, organized, cheerful, it has solidarity, we have a great time despite the intolerance and discrimination, lack of laws that protect us and although we were pathologized, even though our families do not understand us because of conservative influences and prejudices that harm, we are fighting. Here we have many problems and I think the worst part is that trans children are invisible, suffer bullying and gay teens, lesbians, trans suffer humiliations and we need laws that protect the children of our community. But we are fighting for civil rights, for law, for changes and public policies that empowered us. Our marches are peaceful and we show the world we are a social movement that binds to the hope and facts, to switch to an intolerant society, to build a better country, free of prejudice, intolerance and humiliation just in Chile to love, to want to marry, demand our human rights by demanding a law on gender identity, an agreement to form a couple, to adopt children and give love and be happy and contribute to society through work with love. These are the objectives.

(Advice I’d give to my younger self) Let the mirror be wondering if he is happy, that sees himself as a person who can pursue their dreams, they can go, you can get help if you can not do it by itself, which can be in your community. Look and be how you want to be and choose how to live your life. In spite of many difficulties be a person who always sees the glass as half full and be a person who will fight for your rights, join the civil society to work together to make laws, public policies so that your life story will tell of a country like Chile with equal rights for everyone. We are citizens, we can choose, we can empower ourselves, we can be leaders, we can help to make changes, to build a pluralistic society, where we can be free to think and decide on our own body to love without restrictions or prejudices. To contribute to better people and eradicate injustice and say that being part of the community of Gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual, intersex, Chile is an honor and an opportunity to educate a country that needs the diversity to advance and build a better country every day.”

Luis, President of Fundación Iguales , Santiago, Chile

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Luis, in his own words: “(Being gay) means that I am a man who likes men. It shouldn’t mean anything else, but unfortunately it also means that I have less rights than other people and that I am discriminated against.

(With regards to challenges) Just too many. I had a sad childhood, with almost no friends, just because I was considered to be “different” and needed to “adapt”. I needed too much time to finally come out of the closet. I also changed majors twice because I had no clue about what I really wanted to do with my life. And then there’s my health issues: I’m waiting for my second kidney transplant.

(With regards to the gay community in Santiago) I’d say it replicated the class patterns of the general population in the sense that it isn’t very likely that a high and a low-class gay guy will become friends. And I’d also say that to a certain extent it is still ghettoized, because gays don’t feel comfortable at their workplaces or families so they tend to isolate from the rest of society and make strong bonds with other gays.

I took a very long while to acknowledge that I was gay, mainly because at the time I didn’t have any role models. There weren’t any gays or lesbians in my social circles. Fortunately I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Berlin while in university, and that helped me a lot because it was the first time I met gay guys and was in stable relationships, which was very inspiring to me. Soon after coming back to Chile, after a last date with a girl which made realize there was no option whatsoever I could be straight, I started dating a guy that ended up being my boyfriend for a couple of years. I was so happy that I never told anyone to keep the secret. In a couple of days everybody knew, except my family. I didn’t dare tell my parents, so I asked a psychologist to do so. It proved better that way cause they already had the reassuring opinion of a “specialist” before talking to me. It was a harsh conversation but I was well prepared and happy, which they ended up noticing and finally accepting.

I hate it when people say they wouldn’t do anything different should they had the chance to. I’d do so many things different! I’d tell my younger self to stop trying to fit and start trying to discover who he really is. To travel more, meet different people, and stop listening to those who kept trying to make him a uniformed person.”

Iguales

André, Administrative Assistant, Lima, Peru

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

André, in his own words:“Pies, ¿para qué los quiero si tengo alas para volar?” – Frida Kahlo.

“No me gusta nombrarme como gay, prefiero ser marica, maricón, cabro o rosquete, porque esos términos me colocan en una posición marginal, no blanca, no masculina, sin dinero e irrespetuosa con la sociedad, y desde ahí empiezo a construir mi discurso y activismo.

Para mi fue bastante fácil salir del closet, lo hice a los 14 años cuando mi mamá me preguntó “¿Hay algo que me quieras contar?” y respondí “Sí, me gustan los hombres”. En ese momento me sentí libre y podría decir que empecé a ser completamente yo. Luego entendí que todo esto sucedió después de la muerte de mi padre, porque él era muy machista y homofóbico, esas eran unas de las razones por las que yo seguía en el closet.

Tengo desafíos todos los días al transitar por las calles de Lima, esperando no ser insultado o violentado por vestirme y comportarme como se me antoja, pero le agradezco a las maricas que lucharon para que yo pueda transitar, ahora nos toca a nosotras seguir construyendo un país donde se respeten nuestras vidas y garanticen nuestros derechos.”

In English:

“Feet, why do I want them when I have wings to fly?” – Frida Kahlo

“I hate to identify myself as gay, I’d rather be a fag, fagot, queer, goat, because those terms placed me in a marginal position, not white, not male, penniless and disrespectful to society, and from there I began to build my discourse and activism.

For me it was quite easy coming out, I did it at age 14 when my mom asked me “Is there anything you want to tell me?” And I said “Yes, I like men.” At that moment I felt free and I could say that I became full. Then I realized that all this happened after the death of my father, because he was very macho and homophobic, those were some of the reasons why I was still in the closet.

I’m challenged every day to walk the streets of Lima, hoping not to be insulted or violated by dressing and acting in the way that I want, but I thank the fags who fought for me to move, now it is up to us to continue building a country where our lives are respected and our rights ensured.”