Recognition of Diverse Couples in Cuba: Race and Equality Promotes South-South Exchange on the Eve of Family Code Law’s Preliminary Draft

Recognition of Diverse Couples in Cuba: Race and Equality Promotes South-South Exchange on the Eve of Family Code Law’s Preliminary Draft

Washington D.C., July 1, 2021.- On June 29, 2021, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) launched the report, “Towards the Recognition of Diverse Couples in Cuba” on the eve of the presentation of a new Family Code to Congress, which will be subsequently submitted to a referendum for its approval. The launch was carried out in a virtual event in which representatives of independent civil society on the island and activists from Ecuador and Costa Rica participated to share their country’s experiences and strategies in the recognition of marriage equality.

The webinar was called Recognition of Diverse Couples in Cuba: Exchange of Experiences in the Region. The panelists included the Executive Director of Race and Equality, Carlos Quesada; the journalist and independent activist from Cuba, Maria Matienzo; the Director of the Institute of Equality, Gender and Rights of the Central University of Ecuador, Christian Paula; and the President of the Association of Homoparental and Diverse Families of Costa Rica and Executive Director of the Sí Acepto (Yes, I Accept) Campaign in Costa Rica, Nisa Sanz. Race and Equality’s LGBTI Program Officer, Zuleika Rivera, moderated the event.

In addition to the LGBTI+ community’s demand on the island, the approval of marriage equality is in line with Cuba’s human rights obligations, as well as with the Constitution adopted in 2019. It conceptualizes marriage as a voluntary union between persons. It was determined that egalitarian marriage would become a reality by including it in a new Family Code that was to be presented and submitted to a referendum within two years, in other words, this year of 2021.

Rivera commented that the possibility of a referendum to decide the approval of this Code, brings with it a series of positions in favor and against this process. On one hand there are the fundamentalist voices that oppose the recognition of the rights of the LGBTI+ population, and on the other hand, there is the same LGBTI+ community and allies that support it but criticize the fact that a referendum will determine their rights.

The report

The report, “Towards the Recognition of Diverse Couples in Cuba” articulates Race and Equality’s analysis of marriage equality considering international human rights standards, its aim is to encourage discussion on the right to equality and non-discrimination, and its scope in the area of family protection. In addition, the document includes a series of recommendations for the Cuban State, international organizations and civil society to strengthen the protection of the human rights of the LGBTI+ population in Cuba.

In presenting the main findings of this report, the Executive Director of Race and Equality, Carlos Quesada, said that “the right to equality must be guaranteed, it must not be left to a referendum. “Marriage equality is based on national legislation, specifically on the Cuban Constitution in articles 1, on equality; 7, on supremacy; 13, on equity and social justice; 16, on the enjoyment of human rights and the repudiation of any manifestation of discrimination; 41 on the protection of human rights, in line with the principles of progressivity, equality and non-discrimination, and article 44, on the right to equality and social inclusion, among others” he contends.

“The acknowledgement of diverse people requires the recognition of the civil rights of Cubans in general,” declared independent Cuban journalist, who lamented that the demand for the recognition of the rights of the LGBTI+ population is limited by the absolute control exercised by the State, “based on an ideology in which there is no place for a man who is not heterosexual with a woman who responds to his own interests.”

Experiences in the region

The Director of the Institute of Equality, Gender and Rights of the Central University of Ecuador, Christian Paula, referred to the legal regulations, both national and international, which served as a basis for undertaking the struggle for the recognition of marriage equality in Ecuador. The right to marriage equality has been a reality since July 8, 2019. The specialist said that the Advisory Opinion 24/17 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) is very important for the region because the LGBTI+ population does not have an international treaty that specifically protects their rights.

The President of the Association of Homoparental and Diverse Families of Costa Rica and Executive Director of the “Yes, I Accept” Campaign, Nisa Sanz, shared her experiences of educational and the awareness campaign they carried out in Costa Rica’s demand for marriage equality. “It is very normal that in these types of advances countries face all kinds of barriers, ranging from total opposition to any kind of advance to those that completely favor egalitarian marriage”, she explained.

For Race and Equality, it is important to create this type of space for the exchange of experiences and to have the participation of activists from Cuba, a country where there is a severe restriction on the exercise of civil rights, and where the struggle for the recognition of rights for groups such as the LGBTI+ population is overshadowed by the government’s authoritarianism.

In the light of the experiences of Ecuador and Costa Rica, we hope that Advisory Opinion 24/17 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will be used by civil society in other countries of the region as a tool for the demand for the recognition and guarantee of the rights of LGBTI+ persons. In the context of the discussion and adoption of the Family Code in Cuba, we urge the Cuban State to act in accordance with its human rights obligations, for the complete fulfillment of the right to equality and non-discrimination.

Race and Equality launches a report to raise awareness around the Afro-LGBT population in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the Dominican Republic to contribute to the recognition of their ights

Washington, D.C., June 30, 2021. – The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) launched on June 30, 2021 a report titled, “La deuda pendiente con la población Afro-LGBT en Brasil, Colombia, Perú y República Dominicana” (“The Pending Debt to the Afro-LGBT Population in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the Dominican Republic”) with the aim of highlighting the violence and discrimination faced by this community on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, and to contribute to the adoption of public policies for the recognition and guarantee of their rights.

This report is the result of systematized documentation carried out by Race and Equality based on reports presented by six partner organizations: Instituto Transformar Shelida Ayana and Rede Afro LGBT, from Brazil; Somos Identidad, Fundación Arco Iris de Tumaco y Conferencia Nacional de Organizaciones Afrocolombianas (C.N.O.A.), from Colombia; Ashanti, from Peru, and Trans Siempre Amigas (TRANSSA), from the Dominican Republic.

“With this report we seek to generate a conversation within the LGBTI+ movement and Afro movement to make visible the problems faced by Afro-LGBT people. We need to talk about racism within the LGBTI+ community and the LGBTIphobia within the Afro movement. Not only should we talk about inclusivity, but we must also show it and that starts with having these conversations,” said Zuleika Rivera the LGBTI Program Officer at Race and Equality.

For Narciso Torres, coordinator of Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity at the C.N.O.A., an important aspect of this report is that it provides a detailed overview of the violence and discrimination suffered by the Afro-Colombian LGBT population, which leads to the awareness of this situation and for States and civil society to take action to combat and prevent these abuses. “In addition, (it helps) to maintain hope for the transformation of coexistence between all,” he contended.

Sandra Milena Arizabaleta “Sami,” Director of the Afro-descendant Foundation for Social and Sexual Diversities (Somos Identidad), affirmed that in addition to the visibility of the realities that Afro-Colombian LGBTI people endure, the report points to the creation and implementation of public policies that respond to their demands. “We hope that this report will be publicized and approached by governments, and eventually become enforced state policies,” she expressed.

“This report allows us to create a dialogue between the government, legislative and legal sectors around the conditions of the Afro LGBTI+ Brazilian population, as well as provoke the human rights commissions of Congress to act, and to present requests to international organizations when we do not obtain a response from the State concerning our demands,” shared by Janaina Oliveira, from Rede Afro LGBT.

Regarding the experience of preparing Brazil’s data for this report, Eduardo Castro, from Instituto Transformar, indicated how his organization was able to learn from the different realities of trans and Cariocan women (people born in Rio de Janeiro). “Although the nucleus of members is mostly made up of trans and afro-transvestite people, the uniqueness of each experience, the regional specificities, the negotiations narrated by the subjects involving actors such as trafficking, the police, health workers or even university colleagues, marked the diversity of these experiences,” he commented.

The report includes a series of recommendations addressed to States, civil society and the human rights mechanisms of the Inter-American and United Nations system, all aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of the Afro-LGBT population in the region. Recommendations made to States include:

  • Sign and ratify the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance.
  • Take measures to collect disaggregated data on the population according to ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • Create new participation mechanisms and strengthen existing ones, so that Afro-LGBT people actively participate in the design and implementation of public policies that directly concern them.

 As of today, the report can be accessed and downloaded from the Race and Equality website using the following link: http://oldrace.wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Informe-Afro-LGBT_May2021.pdf (In Spanish only).

“Loving and Resisting from Diversity:” Race and Equality Celebrates LGBTI+ Pride Day

Washington D.C., June 28, 2021.- To commemorate this LGBTI+ Pride Day, The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) chose the slogan “Loving and Resisting from Diversity.” This slogan pays tribute to LGBTI+ organizations and activists who each day wage a powerful struggle to combat discrimination and violence, and move towards the recognition of their rights despite living in a context as adverse as Latin America and the Caribbean when it comes to human rights.

Although there has been little progress in the region in terms of recognizing and guaranteeing rights for LGBTI+ people, we want to exalt the great capacity to love and resist that people with diverse sexual orientation and gender expression or identity continue to sustain, when facing a society that attacks, excludes, and humilitaes them, in addition to increased attacks and instensified hate speech.

On this day we cannot refrain from remembering the Stonewall riots carried out in rejection of the police raid that took place in the early hours of June 28, 1969, in a bar known as Stonewall Inn in the New York neighborhood of Greenwich Village; this location is where LGBTI+ people used to meet. A year later that date would be declared as LGBTI+ Pride Day as a way to reclaim and celebrate the struggle for freedom and respect for the rights of this community.

Progress and Challenges

In the beginning of this month of June, the Prosecutor’s Office of Salta, Argentina, confirmed that the skeletal remains found by a day laborer and his son in a desolate area north of the city corresponded to Santiago Cancinos, a young trans man who disappeared in May 2017, who reported he was being bullied by his school and classmates.

This is one of the most recent and shocking events. However, when it comes to violence and discrimination, Latin America and the Caribbean accumulates a long list of episodes ranging from threats and verbal assaults to police brutality and murder. Hate crimes that in most cases remain unpunished-  this lack of will and judicial mechanisms only generates more negligence among authorities when making justice a priority.

LGBTI+ and human rights organizations closely followed the case of Vicky Hernandez v. Honduras, in which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) determined the State’s responsibility for the alleged extrajudicial execution committed against Hernández in June 2009, which occurred in the midst of the tense socio-political context generated by the coup d’état that year. This set an important precedent of ensuring the application of justice in future cases of violence against LGBTI+ persons at the regional level.

With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, we see how the situation of vulnerability of this population is exacerbated, as the health emergency deepens conditions of inequality in the fields of health, social assistance, education, work, among other inequalities. In addition, States have not taken into account the LGBTI+ realities of discrimination and institutional violence against gender nonconforming and trans people. For instance, in Colombia, people with diverse gender identity or expression were left in limbo with policies like “pico y género.”[1]

However, the commitment to fight for a more just and equitable society for all people has also led to celebratory results in the last year, like the approval of equal marriage in Costa Rica. We are slowly witnessing the progress of campaigns and bills for the recognition and guarantee of the rights of LGBTI+ people. In Argentina on June 11, the Chamber of Deputies approved the bill that guarantees the trans-transvestite labor quota. The so-called Diana Sacayán – Lohana Berkina Law, who were recognized defenders of the formal trans and transvestite labor inclusion, was passed with 207 positive votes, 11 negative votes and seven abstentions.

Let us celebrate!

Race and Equality spoke with LGBTI+ activists from different countries in the region and asked them about the importance of celebrating LGBTI+ Pride. These are their answers.

Christian King, trans non-binary activist and member of Trans Siempre Amigas (TRANSSA) – Dominican Republic: For me, celebrating LGBTIQ+ Pride Month is nothing more than claiming my personhood, and at the same time reclaiming all the people who have fought, who have lost their lives making themselves visible, those people who have led us to enter this movement of struggle and recognize ourselves as members of the LGBTIQ+ community, and to demand that the State recognize our rights.

Agatha Brooks, trans activist and member of Trans Siempre Amigas (TRANSSA) – Dominican Republic: Celebrating Pride Month is to make ourselves visible as the rainbow flag represents each of us, we are a brand that grows more and more every day. We become more visible so that equality becomes present in our communities, in our country and throughout the world

Darlah Farias, Coletivo Sapato Preto – Brazil: Celebrating LGBTI+ Pride is celebrating the life of this population. Not just the lives that struggle today, but all the lives lost so that we could be here. Principally I, as an Afro and lesbian woman, carry all my ancestry with me and understand that our struggle is forged in revolution and reinvention.

Thiffany Odara, FONATRANS – Brazil: Celebrating LGBTI+ Pride is celebrating the right to life, my existence, the right to be who I am, it’s celebrating the memory of my ancestors. Celebrating who I am is the greatest challenge for Brazilian society. The challenge of resisting to guarantee policies of social equity. Long live the LGBTI+ Pride Movement! I’m proud to be who we are!

Gael Jardim, Trascendendo – Brazil: Celebrating LGBTI+ Pride Day is about making a real difference. It’s remembering that this day was born out of a revolt so that people can have the right to exist in society, and no longer in ghettos, closets or exclusion. To celebrate Pride Day is to give visibility to our cause and our struggle, which is not a day but a whole year of citizenship.

Santiago Balvin, nonbinary transmasculine activist and member of Rosa Rabiosa – Peru: Pride for me is important because society has imposed feelings of guilt and shame on who we are, but we rise up against them by showing pride in who we are and by showing ourselves in an authentic way. It is also very important to know that we have been in hiding and that visibility has been important to be able to show ourselves, and also give voice to our problems.

Leyla Huerta, founder and Director of Féminas – Perú: Celebrating Pride Day is very important to me. It’s the day in which we recognize ourselves as brave, strong and resilient. It is also a date of commemoration for all those people who are no longer with us, and who, due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, were exterminated because that is the word that best fits our disappearances. A society that does not recognize us, a society that limits us in our own development, it does just that: exterminates us. Pride Day, as the word conveys, is a day in which we should be proud because we are here, resisting, advancing and educating.

Roberto Lechado, independent comedian – Nicaragua: Celebrating Pride Month is to celebrate life, but also to recognize myself as part of a community and remind myself that I’m not alone and that’s a super nice feeling. It is also reminding myself that it is okay to be the person I want to be, that my love is valid and valuable, and my existence is magnificent and important. Celebrating Pride is also for me, to make visible these colors that many times in the day to day become opaque, and to say to society “we are here, we exist, we deserve, and we matter!”

Miguel Rueda Sáenz, director and founder of Pink Consultores – Colombia: For me, celebrating gay pride means a lot of things. There’s an important historical force, it also shows community and group strength and fundamental social aspects, and it has an enormous personal stance as it recognizes me as a gay man, this day allows me to shout even louder. It is very important for me on June 28 to be able to celebrate who we are and why we exist.

Lesley Wolf, actor, dancer, and BA in Performing Arts – Colombia: Celebrating LGBTI Pride is more than a celebration, it turns into a demand for resistance. It’s re-signifying and dignifying a struggle that not only costs us nor takes us just a month, but a whole year, it’s a constant activity.

María Matienzo, activist and Independent Journalist – Cuba: For me to celebrate Gay Pride Day is to celebrate the claim of rights that we should all have as citizens of the world, although it’s not really a matter of one day, it should be a matter of a lifetime.

For Race and Equality, it is an honor to know and accompany the work that is being carried out, individually and collectively to defend and promote the rights of the LGBTI+ population. Denouncing the violence this population faces in different areas of society, making visible and documenting their realities and demands, and strengthening their capacities to influence Sates and the human rights mechanisms of the Inter-American and United Nations system.

For us, celebrating LGBTI+ Pride Day means reinforcing and renewing our commitment to working for a more just and equitable society for all people, without any discrimination. In addition, it represents an opportunity to make recommendations to States aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of the LGBTI+ population:

  • To implement educational campaigns on sexual orientation and gender identity, aimed at making people in all areas of society aware of and respect the diversity of the population.
  • To collect disaggregated data with an intersectional focus on the LGBTI+ population, including information on the violence they face.
  • To train authorities, mainly justice operators, health and education providers, so that LGBTI+ people can access these basic services without discrimination and without restrictions based on prejudices about sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • Adopt policies and laws that allow LGBTI+ people to fully enjoy their rights, such as the gender identity law.
  • Sign, ratify and implement the Inter-American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance.

[1] “Pico y género” was a sex-based quarantine measure temporaily implemnted in Bogotá and Cartegena, where women and men were allowed out for essential tasks on alternating days of the week; trans women and men could go out according to their gender identity. However, the policy resulted in some 20 cases of targeted discrimination against trans people.

Transcinema: trans presence and representation in brazilian audiovisual media

Brazil, June 11, 2021 – “I never imagined living in a country that kills travestis [1] and transsexuals the most. I never imagined how powerful the reference of my population could be, on and off the screen. In theater, producing music on and off the radio, dancing and encouraging the presence of our trans bodies in Brazil.” With this reference, the power of trans bodies and the Brazilian reality, Wescla Vasconcelos- director, screenwriter and presenter– opens the program, “Transcinema: Presence and Representation in Brazilian Audiovisual Media” [2]. The program was supported by the Aldir Blanc Law, the Rio de Janeiro State Government, and the State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy, as well as the Kinoplex Cinema Network. Written in partnership with Biancka Fernandes, Transcinema was created in order to make visible and discuss the presence of trans bodies within audiovisual media.

With the participation of actresses such as Divina Aloma, Biancka Fernandes and Rebecca Gotto, who narrate their artistic trajectories of their disobedient bodies in contrast to the prevailing gender and media patterns, which all exalt the disruptive transgender power within Brazilian audiovisual media. Through the brief accounts of their stories, many come from a long haul in this industry. Actresses narrate the evolution of trans representation beyond stigma and prejudice to demonstrate that, yes, trans people can and should be protagonist of their stories. The conquest for space and representation in the cultural sector is an arduous struggle for the trans population, usually their performances are restricted to support roles, their stores are shelved, or they’re found behind the cameras and/ or in cultural projects. Moreover, because of transphobia, many cisgender men act in roles of trans people, further accentuating the erasure and marginalization of trans and transvestite women.

It is worth highlighting that the profusion of social media and the heightened accessibility of the internet is and was important for the visibility of the trans population. Also, themes of identity contributed to the creation of audiovisual content that discuss the importance of trans representation in decision making spaces. Becuase communication is power, the symbolism constructed around trans people, needs to be constantly questioned, since the media legitimizes and romanticizes cisheteronormative narratives, leaving the trans population in an eternal contest for representation beyond headlines of violence and death. Therefore, trans representation also needs to be included in the audiovisual industry and in job generation as a means of social insertion far beyond the screens.

To tell the story of the Transcinema project, Race and Equality invited Wescla Vasconcelos, who besides being the creator of the program, is also an actress, pedagogue, she completed her masters in Culture and Territorialities in Fluminense Federal University (UFF), a Parliamentary adviser in the office of Councilwoman Tainá de Paula in Rio de Janeiro, and also acts as an articulator of the TT-RJ Forum. Wescla also discussed about the importance of the actresses’ stories, and how these stories serve as a reference of themselves and how this evolution is important for the generations to come.

Race and Equality- How did the idea of the Transcinema Program come about? How many editions will there be?

Wescla Vasconcelos- Transcinema arose from a dream I always had as an artist, which is to try to produce content that reflects, in various ways, the power of the presence of trans and transvestite peoples in audiovisual media, but also through other artistic languages. In 2020, I collaborated in a program for the National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (ANTRA), with the first festival “Travestilizando.” This festival aimed to bring together several trans artists in order to insert them in social networks and showcase their talents at the time of the pandemic. In fact, with the support of several trans artists, we created several virtual campaigns raising funds to help supply food and basic hygiene products. The emergency appeal of the Aldir Blac law arrived in the midst of the pandemic (this law includes emergency assistance to workers in culture and support for cultural spaces). As an artist, I realized the importance of producing content that reflected the power of trans representation in audiovisual media. Together with Biancka Fernandes, we are two trans artist from the Northeast region of Brazil, we started this movement of writing a project based on trans representation in Brazilian audiovisual media. It was the first script that we wrote together, and it was also the first production that I directed and produced at the same time, along with other folks involved. It emerged from the quarantine with the need to produce content that reflects the power of trans representation in audiovisual media. At the moment Transcinema has only one edition, but for the second half of 2021, I intend to develop other content that contemplates trans people’s existence in the Brazilian audiovisual media.

R&E- As a writer and director, what influenced you to explore this issue?

WV- The main influences when constructing the script and direction of the program were based on some interviews with trans artists, both from Brazil and from and other countries. The show was based primarily on the documentary called, ‘Disclosure’ which in Portuguese is called ‘Revelação,’ available on Netflix. In addition to this documentary, I was also inspired by Bruna Benevides’ article called “11 Movies about Trans Activist that you need know” [2]. The article was written on the website Medium and it’s accessible online. It’s wonderful, and it greatly inspired me to create the program’s script.

R&E- What was the experience like working with the trans actresses, what is the message in Transcinema that you’d like to transmit to the public?

WV- The show was an experience of bringing together several trans artists from different cities, with Divina Loma speaking about Madam Satã’s time, in Rio de Janeiro, and what she went through as a black transsexual artist. Then came Rebecca Gotto who is an actress from Baixada Fluminense, guiding the issue of access, opportunities, and the fight for respect of the social name, especially as an artist. It also included Biancka Fernandes referencing aspects of prostitution in Brazil, the marginalization of the streets, poetry, and the importance of poetry as a power of her art. It was a generational conversation humanizing cinema entertainment. This production of content guides our trans people and transvestite population as a reference for ourselves. I think this is the main message that the program Transcinema brings in the fight against prejudice and discrimination.

R&E- Because of your experience as a militant and as an articulator of the TT-RJ Forum, how can ‘Transcinema’ contribute to repair transphobia in a country that kills more LGBTI+ people in the world?

WV- I believe that the Transcinema show directly contributes to discussions that are urgent in our society. We see a lot on television and on other forms of mainstream media, a linkage between prejudice and discrimination to the deaths and murders, further marginalizing transexual and transvestite subjects. Thinking from this place of social movement, the experience in the construction of Transcinema speaks about life. We transsexuals cannot limit our speech and presence in society by just debating questions of transphobia, prejudice and discrimination. We must discuss all this and fight for the right to life within a country that both murders our trans and transvestite bodies.

Nevertheless, it is important to recognize what each of us does in life, because we have many powerful and inspiring things that serve as references not only for trans people, but for society as a whole and the LGBTI+ population. The content of Transcinema contributes to this dialogue by saying that we have always been in various places, occupying various spaces of society. But it’s society that does not admit our presence.

R&E- How do you envision the journey and presence of trans peoples in Brazil’s audiovisual media?

WV- At the end of Transcinema, I leave with a message that is: to let us act, let us sing, let us dance, let us play any and all sports. Society can no longer avoid the debate around trans bodies, travestis, and their role in the labor market, university studies, and other opportunities, because we are human beings and we are included in society anyway.  We need to encourage this inclusion to happen in a more practical and concrete way. I think that the Brazilian audiovisual media today has been going through changes, to the point where I myself am surprised. Brazilian audiovisual media has been going through moments of transformations that reflect a future dialogue of narratives, bodies, and representation. The Transcinema program encourages this evolution and challenges the Brazilian audiovisual media. It’s very much linked to ourselves, the transexual artists who have gone through the entertainment industry before, commenting on their own work as a strategy of reference and exalting our work, and at the same time leaving messages such as: when I was a child or teenager, I had never seen content like this. I think with transgender children and teenagers having access to content like Transcinema, it fosters the idea that they see themselves reflected on TV, in cinema, in art and in various other places in society.

R&E- Another unfortunate Brazilian statistic that brings the trans and transvestite presence within audiovisual media is that Brazil is the country that consumes the most trans and transvestite pornography in the world, but the taboo on trans bodies remains constant. How do you see this possible paradigm breaking within the audiovisual industry?

WV- The statistic is a sad fact, Brazil is the country that kills the most trans and transvestite people not by fatality, I like to emphasize this because they are brutality filled, hate crimes. At the same time that we think about this awful statistic, we see that the consumption of pornography is very high. And in addition to the digital platforms, online pornography, and consumption of the bodies of trans and travestis is also very high. The street corners of prostitution did not completely stop during the pandemic period, and now with this vaccination movement the market of prostitution returns with acceleration. These are issues within society that have never been as present as they are today. We need to strengthen this discussion using the fact that this country kills the most and consumes the most trans pornographic content, and hires prostitution services. These are taboos that need to be debated and, furthermore, alternatives need to be thought out so that this can be something that does not harm the rights and dignity, and life of the LGBTI+ community.

Audiovisual representation can demystify, in the sense that the search for pornography and prostitution on the streets moves certain people in search of specific issues, which in this case is sex. And on the other hand, producing content with a trans diverse population in the audiovisual media, helps to humanize these peoples and express how their bodies are not only for pornographic content and prostitution- trans bodies can also serve as a reference in various points of audiovisual content, and moreover by encouraging their presence in society, we demystifies this taboo. The participation of trans people in Brazilian audiovisual media can help reduce both discrimination and prejudice.

R&E- The popular Madame Satã served as a symbolic figure who always had to appear strong to be able to survive, moreover the cinema perpetuated this image. What image of trans people do we need to (re)build in order to decolonize symbolic ideas of trans bodies?

WV- Madame Satã is referenced in our program, Divina Aloma is one of the few trans artists who had contact with Madame Satã. Unfortunately, we recently experienced the death of Rogéria and Jane di Castro from the Divine Divas. Aloma’s participation in Transcinema is an enormous gift. She’s a legacy in life, in live production, commenting on Madame Satã is one of the defining moments of our documentary. With Madame Satã, we witness a figure confronting fascism and prejudice, vulnerable to the intersectional prejudices, and dealing with the political violence and abusive apparatus that the state ideologically imposes in our society.

Continuation WV- In order to imagine a reconstruction of symbols and struggles that can decolonize trans bodies, it is necessary not only to have trans people acting, but to think in what ways the LGBTI+ debates and trans debates are structured in society. In addition to acting through mediums of art and cinema, I think it is important that we are also aware of these processes. We need more and more writers, editors, content producers, trans creative directors to play a role in the structure and functioning of these large areas of society. Because from the moment we do that, we’re going to see not only trans people acting, but also directing, producing, scripting and creating a distinct presence for the trans and transvestite community using their professional talents. This will all contribute to embolden and decolonize the experience of trans bodies in society. From the moment we still see that there is a great absence in the presence of trans people in various sectors of our society, it is important to think that when this access is facilitated, these people will increase their presence in society, and in a way, weaken forms of prejudice and discrimination.

In order to contribute to promoting the cultural sector with recognition and appreciation of popular expression, Race and Equality recognizes that the right to culture is essential to the contribution of the history of a people and its traditions. Moreover, the appreciation of culture from a plural perspective is intersectionally connected to the struggle for basic rights of peoples. Thus, our engagement in the defense and promotion of racial and indigenous LGBTI+ agendas aim to restructure a world designed for unique bodies and peoples. Therefore, we recognize that diversity is a fundamental right and we congratulate the diverse cultural productions.

 

 

[1] Far from being a pejorative term, according to ANTRA (National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals of Brazil), “travesti” is an identity in the country, claimed by those who, despite having been identified as belonging to the male gender at birth, recognize themselves as belonging to the female gender and have a female gender expression, but do not claim themselves as women. Associação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (ANTRA); Instituto Brasileiro Trans de Educação (IBTE). Dossiê dos assassinatos e da violência contra travestis e transexuais brasileiras em 2019. São Paulo: Expressão Popular, ANTRA, IBTE, 2020, p. 11. Available in: https://antrabrasil.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/dossic3aa-dos-assassinatos-e-da-violc3aancia-contra-pessoas-trans-em-2019.pdf

[2] Watch the Transcinema program here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPJZ6HfDEaR/

[3] https://brunabenevidex.medium.com/11-filmes-sobre-ativistas-trans-que-voc%C3%AA-precisa-conhecer-a2eb9654b4ee

Political Violence in Brazil: What is the Value of Black and Transgender Parliamentarians Lives?

Given the growing political-electoral violence plaguing the security of trans and black parliamentarians in Brazil, both in their daily lives and in the exercise of their mandates, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) makes an urgent call for international human rights and protective strategies.The imminent risk of death due to political violence led the black trans councilor, Benny Briolli (PSOL/RJ), to leave the country in May 2021. The severity of the threats and attacks directed at Benny caused her political party to seek shelter in another country for her safety.

The current fragility of Brazilian democracy calls into question the political actors who defend the guidelines for the guarantee of human rights, with political violence being the engine of hate speech and the spread of false news. We witness with great concern that the Brazilian State fails to respond to complaints, and in cases where it is obliged to respond when triggered by the press or public hearings, it uses dubious statistics. The States’ failures are in addition to tokenizing women, black people, and the LGBTI+ community to forge the inclusion of diversity in their government. However, the lack of protective measures for these groups displays that security is insignificant to those in power to stop the structures that feed political violence.

After the dictatorial period of extreme political violence, the struggle for power remained marked by threats and attacks, all culminating in the assassination of Councilwoman Marielle Franco in 2018. However, it is important to note that political violence was also strategic for President Bolsonaro’s election who, after allegedly being stabbed, managed to mobilize the whole country around the incident. One can see how political violence is key for a government to establish and maintain the culture of fear and repression.

The politics created out of fear and insecurity is only effective when representatives of the most vulnerable population are prevented from exercising their mandates because they question the status quo, either because of their political platforms, or because of their black bodies that perform femineity. Thus, for a government that was consolidated at the polls due to political violence, this domino effect that led city councilor Benny Briolli to leave the country is only the tip of the iceberg of virtual attacks, gender violence and the silencing of a nation.

Within the Bosonarist era, the 2020 elections took place amid tensions of political and electoral threats. Although in 2020 the black movement achieved success in passing the racial criterion [1] for time division and political propaganda on the radio and television, hate speech on social networks gained strength. Moreover, according to a survey conducted by the organizations Terra de Direitos and Justiça Global [2], Brazil recorded an act of political violence every 72 hours in the last elections. The polarized political climate continues to naturalize violence as a coercive ‘weapon’ towards underrepresented groups.

The report, “Political and Electoral Violence in Brazil: An Overview of Human Rights Violations from 20016-2020”, organized by the institutions mentioned above presents striking data. For example, an average of 27 cases of attacks per years are experienced by those elected, as well as candidates. Councillors and mayors are among the political posts with the most registered cases, and as we have repeatedly denounced, the report confirms that proportionally women suffer more violence. The research “Mapping Political Violence Against Black Women” [3] conducted by the Marielle Franco Institute in partnership with Justiça Global and Terra de Direitos, centralized their focus on gender-based political violence. According to the report, about eight out of ten black women in the 2020 elections experienced virtual violence, six out of ten experienced moral and psychological violence, and five out of ten suffered from institutional violence.

According to the survey conducted by the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA) [4] of the transgender candidates throughout Brazil in the 2020 elections, about 50% of them were direct victims of threats, including death threats, invasion of their private environment, work, and political spaces. In addition, 38% faced online attacks, and 12% endured direct physical violence. Additionally, as reported by the survey, virtual platforms were drenched in “transphobic insults, intimidation of the trans condition as incapacitating for political positions, transphobic racism, delegitimization of the gender identity of the victims, malicious comments related to the transition and physical attributes (…), dissemination of candidates’ degrading fake news and coordinated invasions of virtual campaign activities to hinder their progress, creating an unsafe environment and, in some cases, interruption due to virtual security issues.”

To contribute to the dissemination of denouncements taking place in Brazil, we spoke with Gisele Barbieri, Advocacy Coordinator of Terra de Diretos, and with an individual responsible for the coordination of the research cited.

R & I – In the report prepared by Terra de Direitos, the framework of political- electoral violence already presents data that indicates growth from 2016 to 2020. The data became even more frightening after the Bolsonaro election, from 2018 onwards. In last year’s elections we saw an expansive increase in hate crimes, with threats and attacks on networks, especially against trans and black women. Given the government’s refusal to see and combat these crimes, do you think it is possible to see an end to the political-electoral violence against women in Brazil? If so, in what way?

Gisele Barbieri – Political violence, as we demonstrated in the survey carried out by Terra de Direitos and Justiça Global in 2020, carries several messages to and from society. Against women, this phenomenon exposes racism, misogynism, among other types of violence. Therefore, envisioning an end to violence will only be possible when resistance is seen as a necessary means to consolidate democracy. In addition, it is a serious violation of human rights, since these women already act in the defense of human rights when they assume their mandates, and yet are targets of constant violence. The responsibility to combat this violence lies not only with the government, but with society at large. In addition to revealing how violence delegitimizes the political agency of women, the research also points out that this violence occurs systematically and not only during electoral periods, but among political parties throughout Brazil. Using these analyses, we evaluate that the end of political violence will only occur when this phenomenon is accompanied, studied, combated, and punished through coordinated actions between various sectors of the State as indicated by Terra de Diretos e Justiça Global’s recommendations.

R & I – Black and trans women are fighting for greater political representation and, in the last elections, we had a record number of trans and black women elected for city council. Even with the support of society, exercising the mandates has been an arduous task. According to the Terra de Direitos and Justiça Global report, women account for 31% of the victim threats. Could you comment about gender violence within the specificities of political violence against trans and black women? How does it differ from political violence directed at other groups?

GB – The research conducted by the Marielle Franco Institute with the support of Terra de Direitos and Justiça Global draws together elements of how racism, which is structural in our society, also poses itself as the vector of violence against black women and trans political agents. This phenomenon for these women is present before, during, and after elections. These message to black and transgender women comes in the form of constant insults and threats, aimed at the elimination and dehumanization of these women by means of attacks ranging from the animalization of these women, insults about their hair and appearance, and even explicit death threats. Racism is the thread of systemic racial violence and hatred can murder the lives of these women at any point. This discourse is in the efforts to fortify representation in the political system, even though black women already represent almost 30% of the Brazilian population.

R & I – In Brazil, we have the recent case of Carolina Iara, who suffered a physical attack, but even so, her request for protection was denied by the city for being a co-councilor, and she was told to hire private security. The lack of protection for Marielle Franco is also a neglected case point. Moreover, the Human Rights Defenders Program does not protect them. Even through filing complaints, there is no response from the State. How do we best protect these women? [5]

GB – The fact that this violence is not monitored by the State creates an institutional gap on this subject. There is an urgent need to draw up a specific protection policy plan for the denouncements and victims when dealing with this type of violence. The National Program of Human Rights Defenders cannot respond to this phenomenon because, although it is directed at human rights defenders, it does not have the mechanism to address this specific type of violence. In cases of political violence, removing candidates from their mandate position to protect them is to comply with the will of the criminals who want to prevent them from exercising their political rights. This violence directly interferes with the democratic process and constitutes a very serious violation of human rights.

Given our work of incidence in Latin America, Race and Equality notes that the current political violence is one of the main factors of human rights violations in the region. Brazil, being a key country in political terms, must position itself and present effective strategies for respecting the lives of its parliamentarians and combating political violence. Therefore, we present the following recommendations to the Brazilian State:

  1. Security guarantee for cis and trans black parliamentarians with the implementation of policies aimed at combating gendered political violence, empowering public security agencies and judiciary and legislation to promote actions at a national level to combat such violence;
  2. Creation of specific legislation to prevent cyber-crimes and the consequent dissemination of fake news that has been one of the pillars for attacks related to political violence;
  3. Ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against all forms of Discrimination and Intolerance in order to punish and combat racism, as well as structural and institutional LGBTIfobia;
  4. Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Racism before the Brazilian legislation to assemble anti-racist public policies.

 

 

[1] https://noticias.uol.com.br/eleicoes/2020/10/03/stf-divisao-verba-candidaturas-negras.htm

[2] http://terradedireitos.org.br/violencia-politica-e-eleitoral-no-brasil/

[3] https://www.violenciapolitica.org/

[4] https://antrabrasil.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/dossie-trans-2021-29jan2021.pdf

[5] The interview took place before the recent case of councilwoman Benny Briolli

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia: the struggle for equality and non-discrimination continues during COVID-19

Washington, D.C.; May 17, 2021.– During the last year, the violence and discrimination people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities faced was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) is proud to join the global campaign “Resisting, Supporting, and Healing Together” and to recognize the LGBTI+ activists and organizations fighting for their rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia was first celebrated in 2004, with the goal of calling attention to the violence and discrimination suffered by LGBTI+ people around the world. The celebration is held on May 17 to mark the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder on May 17, 1990. Since that decision, LGBTI+ people around the world have made great progress in the recognition of their human rights, but continue to face serious challenges and suffer exclusion, stigmatization, and violence.

Adapting to the realities of the Pandemic

LGBTI+ people around the world are fighting at both the individual and collective levels to eliminate discrimination and violence. Bruno Montenegro, a trans activist and member of the Trans-Masculine Fraternity (FTM) in Peru, has continued the organization’s activities to support trans men despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. The organization previously carried out in-person workshops to support trans men’s self-identification, self-esteem, and health knowledge. With the onset of the pandemic, these workshops were suspended while many of the participants lost their jobs and had to return to their families’ homes. In many cases, they faced discrimination and violence from their families.

“We didn’t want to lose that space, so we opened a virtual space called ‘chill Fridays,’ where we would get together and talk about how we were doing or what we were going through,” says Montenegro. Montenegro explained that one of the most serious impacts of the pandemic for trans men has been the interruption of hormone replacement therapy, which can cause trans men to experience menstruation and undergo the accompanying physical and emotional distress. He emphasized that trans people show great resilience in their lives, a trait that serves as a powerful tool for combatting LGBTIphobia.

“Life is a carnival”

Celia Cruz, a Nicaraguan trans activist and former political prisoner, has certainly demonstrated resilience. Just twenty-two days after being released from prison, Cruz demonstrates an unshakeable bearing and tells Race and Equality “We should all life live as a carnival, full of colors, joys, ups and downs, and different rhythms. We have to learn to go with the rhythm.”

Cruz was held in a men’s prison, in violation of her gender identity, from April 21, 2020 until April 25, 2021. She began her activism by putting on shows with the songs of famous Cuban singer Celia Cruz. During the social crisis that began in April 2018, she became well-known for signing at protests in Isla de Ometepe (Rivas department) and Managua, where she also took part in roadblocks and delivered supplies for protestors. As a result, she was arrested and sentenced to 13 years and 2 months in prison.

Despite being released, Cruz continues to suffer constant police harassment, preventing her from organizing events. She has turned to social media to continue fighting transphobia. She tells Race and Equality that the struggle for a more open and inclusive Nicaragua continues, as “there is still discrimination because of gender, religion, and sexual orientation” in various social sectors.

Building knowledge, empathy, and inclusion

The majority of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean still lack laws that protect and promote the rights of LGBTI+ people while taking a wide view of sexual orientation and gender identity as factors shaping the enjoyment of rights. 11 countries in the region include crimes against LGBTI+ people in their hate crime legislation; 14 include LGBTI+ people in legislation preventing workplace discrimination.

Along with a lack of legal protections, societies in the region are also marked by machismo and heteronormativity. Activists in the region stress the role of personal decisions and attitudes in undoing LGBTIphobia. The Cuban psychologist and human rights defender Kirenia Núñez explains that the campaign Esprésate (Express Yourself), launched in 2021 to promote freedom of expression in Cuba, strove to include a diverse group of participants as a way to fight LGBTIphobia. Núñez also makes a point to share her personal experiences with others and to form relationships with people in her community.

“In the last year, I have expanded my network of support among diverse people, people who come into my life to support me not just conceptually, but concretely. This has helped me grow as a woman, as a person, as a woman who loves women,” Núñez explains.

Brigitte Baptiste, a biologist and rector at EAN University in Colombia, believes that humor, along with awareness-raising about LGBTI experiences, can be a tool for resisting LGBTIphobia. Baptiste, a trans woman who has suffered attacks on social media, says that “It’s about the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”

Liken Lee, a member of the organization Trans Siempre Amigas (Trans Friends Forever) in the Dominican Republic, states that participating in processes to learn about human rights and integrate into supportive organizations has been crucial for well-being and mental health. Becoming certified as an accountant was also a path to empowerment for Liken, but Liken has been unable to begin a career due to discrimination against trans people in the labor market and the Dominican Republic’s lack of a law protecting the right to gender identity.

On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Race and Equality joins the joint statement by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calling on states and other stakeholders to consider the negative impacts of exclusive and stigmatizing narratives on the lives of LGBTI+ people. We also emphasize the need to ensure that religion and ‘tradition’ are not used to promote discrimination for reasons of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Race and Equality believes that states must take a leading role in the fight against LGBTIphobia, including through laws that protect and promote LGBTI+ people’s rights, trainings for key public officials such as members of justice and health systems, awareness-raising campaigns, and ratification of the Inter-American Convention against all forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. We also call on states in the region to improve understanding of LGBTI+ people’s realities through official collection and publication of disaggregated data. These steps are vital to fulfilling the LGBTI+ community’s demands for full enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.

Two years after Havana’s historic May 11, LGBTI+ activists in Cuba discuss progress and challenges

Washington, D.C.; May 11, 2021.- On May 11, 2019, Cuba’s LGBTI+ community staged an unprecedented event. After the Nacional Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX) cancelled its annual LGBTI+ pride parade without explanation or justification, LGBTI+ Cubans and their allies held their own celebration in Havana. Although the day ended in repression, it also marked a new high point for the country’s LGBTI+ movement and gave greater visibility than ever to the community’s realities and demands.

Independent Cuban activists and members of the LGBTI+ movement told Race and Equality that despite the violence and arbitrary detentions meted out against them, they remember May 11th as an authentic expression of their community’s demands to increase LGBTI+ visibility and secure human rights for all Cubans.

“The march was the result of three key elements: the community’s rejection of the government’s decision to cancel the annual Conga (parade) against Homophobia and Transphobia, the accumulation of unmet demands from the LGBTI+ community, and the efforts by independent activists to join forces and concentrate our energy,” said Isbel Díaz Torres, a human rights defender and leader of the platform AcciónLGBTIQ-ba (Q-ba LGBTI Action).

The events of May 11

Before 2019, CENESEX had put on the annual Conga against Homophobia and Transphobia for 11 years, with the Conga serving as the kick-off to the Festival against Homophobia and Transphobia. In 2019, however, CENESEX announced that that the Conga would be cancelled due to “new tensions in the regional and international context,” causing outrage in the LGBTI+ movement and across civil society.

Isbel Díaz told Race and Equality that almost instantly, social media channels began to light up with ideas for an alternative celebration. “These ideas popped up in a decentralized way, but it was the work that we had put in previously to build networks of LGBTI+ activism that allowed a single agreed-upon proposal to form,” she explained.

The Afro-descendant LGBTI+ activist Raúl Soublett learned about the independent Conga, held in Havana’s Central Park, through social media. “I went with a group of friends,” he remembers, “when we arrived, nobody else was there. I started thinking it wasn’t going to happen, but we took out our banners and the park started to fill up. It was a little disorganized, there weren’t any specific leaders, there was no agreement about a route for the march, but we went forth. Many people came and joined in. There was no political propaganda one way or the other, we were just there making our legitimate claim to have our rights recognized and respected, and to be visible in society.”

Human rights defender Boris González Arenas remarked that cellular internet access, which had just recently been introduced in Cuba in December 2018, was crucial to the independent Conga, as it has been crucial for Cuban civil society and activism in general. Activists first saw the potential of online activism in January 2019 when, after a tornado caused deaths and severe destruction in Havana, civil society organized shows of support and solidarity with the victims while highlighting the shortcomings of the government’s response.

Raúl Soublett remembers that state security forces were present from the first moments in Central Park and that a group of security personnel initially attempted to block and disperse the march. When the marchers refused to comply, officers responded violently. “Before they struck, we conducted a peaceful sit-in and a “kiss-in.” The police wanted us to disperse, they even had buses there for us, but people refused and protested,” he recalled.

Isbel Díaz and his husband Jimmy Roque Martínez, meanwhile, could not even make it to the Conga. “That morning, as we were leaving the house at 8:30 am, two men wearing civilian clothes approached us. They demanded that we hand over our cell phones, that we not resist, and that we get in two police cars sitting nearby. They took us to the police station in Lawton, Havana, where they charged us with supposed ‘counter-revolutionary activity.’ The officer in charge told us that we were being arrested for ‘organizing and convoking an illegal act of civil disobedience against the revolution.’”

LGBTI+ activism, two years later

Boris González sees the events of May 11, 2019 as evidence of the Cuban LGBTI+ movement’s development, but also of Cuban civil society as a whole. After the Conga, he told Race and Equality, civil society began to leave behind its previous ideological divisions and seek greater cohesion. Importantly, he also sees the event as marking the eclipse of CENESEX and its director Mariela Castro as the center of Cuban LGBTI+ activity. “CENESEX had already been declining in popularity,” he said. “It had previously gained goodwill by supporting the LGBTI+ movement and had launched some interesting initiatives, but with the cancellation of the Conga and Mariela Castro’s subsequent statements, that was all lost.”

The LGBTI+ activist and member of the Latin American Federation of Rural Women Irina León, who lives in Pinar del Río, views two major obstacles to LGBTI+ activism over the years: the government’s attitude towards civil society and the patriarchal characteristics of Cuban society. “LGBTI+ Cubans are ready to demand respect for our rights. We have to come together and find common goals to work for, with which we can show the rest of the population that we are human beings like them, with the same need to be heard,” she says.

Isbel Díaz reflects that “from that moment on, we can talk about ‘the Cuban LGBTI+ community.’ Before, there were disjointed efforts, egos, and no chance of forming formal organizations, which prevented us from working together. Now, it’s possible to think of us as a community encompassing political, ideological, racial, and age diversity.”

Raúl Soublett emphasizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has had both personal and organizational impacts on the LGBTI+ community in Cuba. The pandemic has exposed and worsened the inequalities in Cuban society, especially those facing people with diverse sexual orientations and/or gender identities. “During our physical isolation and the tough public health measures, LGBTI+ activists have had to reinvent our methods, spaces, and ways of thinking. New projects, initiatives, support groups, and more have cropped up. But Cuban LGBTI+ activism is still precarious because we have been working for years and still not accomplished recognition or legal fulfillment of our rights. Furthermore, Cuba is a country with no liberties at all, which makes it hard to develop a true movement. We still rely on spontaneity, as occurred with the Conga,” he says.

The activists who spoke with Race and Equality agree that the most important issues on the LGBTI+ community’s agenda today are the enshrinement of marriage equality in the upcoming Family Code, recognition of and formal apologies for abuses against LGBTI+ Cubans in the 1960s, fighting violence and discrimination against trans Cubans, and, like other independent civil society groups, guarantees for freedom of association.

Donna Suárez, a trans woman and activist, emphasized the particular fight for trans rights on the island, pointing out the high numbers of trans people who are exposed to danger and even death as they practice sex work. Donna also warned that national dialogues about the need for a law against gender-based violence are leaving out the perspectives of trans women. This failure, along with the lack of a law on gender identity, further marginalizes trans women and their specific needs. According to Suárez, however, the independent Conga of May 11, 2019 “has made us visible and given us the perception that if we don’t fight for our rights, no part of the state will do it for us.”

Race and Equality remains committed to accompanying Cuban LGBTI+ activists as they fight for their fundamental rights. We call on the Cuban government to heed their demands and fulfill its international obligations to protect, promote, and guarantee human rights for all people, without discrimination. We urge the government to ensure that the draft Family Code is inclusive and incorporates the demands of civil society, particularly marriage equality and the legal recognition of diverse families.

Call for Photography: “Portraying Diversity”

Washington D.C., April 16, 2021- The call for photography: “Portraying Diversity” is a regional initiative of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality). This project is part of the commemoration of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17) and the International LGBTI+ Pride Day (June 28), with the aim of making visible the diverse identities in Latin American and the Caribbean, as well as demanding for the respect and guarantee of rights of the LGBTI+ population.

“Each year we commemorate these dates in order to create more visibility around people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities, as well as make visible the situations they face in their respective countries. This year, among the commemorative actions that we have proposed, we include this call to portray the LGBTI population in an authentic and artistic way, and what better way than through photography and with the collaboration of people who support or identify with the cause,” explained Zuleika Rivera, Officer of the LGBTI Race and Equality Program.

Context

Latin America and the Caribbean is an adverse region for LGBTI+ people. The continent has record numbers of violence and murder against this community. According to the Map of the Murders of Transvestites and Transexuals in Brazil, a report published by the National Association of Transvestites and Transexuals (ANTRA), in Brazil alone, 175 trans people were killed in 2020, that is once every two days.

In the absence of laws to protect and promote their rights, LGBTI+ people, including diverse couples and families, suffer daily physical and verbal abuse, discrimination and exclusion. They also face serious difficulties in accessing basic rights and services such as health, education, housing and justice.

Call for entry

With the call for photography “Portrait Diversity” we hope to share a collaboration of photos by amateur or professional photographers from all Latin American and Caribbean countries, that through their work we help make visible the diversity and reality of the LGBTI+ community. The following are the terms of reference for this entry.

Call period: April 16 – May 21

Information to accompany the photograph:

  • Name or pseudonym of the author
  • Country
  • Photograph name (ideally two words)
  • Brief description of the photograph (where was it taken, who are the protagonists, and what does it reflect)

Format: JPEG. Minimum resolution of 1500 x 2000 pixels. Full color and/or BN. Only one photo per participant

Style: Free (artistic, journalistic or self-portrait photography)

Send: To the email (igualdad.comunicaciones2021@gmail.com) with the subject link “Call for photography: Portraying Diversity.”

The photographs will be shared through Race and Equality accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, as well as its website, along with the author’s credits and the information received about the photograph. This dissemination will begin on May 17 and end on June 28.

This entry of photography is completely open, so we invite you to share and participate to make visible the diversity in our region and together contribute to the construction of a more inclusive society for all people, without discrimination.

Public Hearing on Political Violence in Brazil: Black Parliamentarians (cis and trans) urge the IACHR for Protection and Denounce the Negligence of the Brazilian State

Brazil, april 06, 2021 – In a hearing exclusively dedicated to denouncing the absence of political rights in Brazil, black councilors (cis and trans) and civil society organizations presented before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The presentation consisted of the current scene of violations of civil and political rights that afflict the security of several parliamentarians in the country. The hearing took place on March 23, in the context of the 179th calendar of virtual hearings of the IACHR, it was filed by the organizations: The National Association of Travestis and Transexuals of Brazil (ANTRA); Criola; Terra de Direitos; Marielle Franco Institute; Justiça Global, Rede Nacional de Negras e Negros LGBT, and The Institute of Race and Equality.

The following participated in the hearing: Erika Hilton (PSOL/SP); Ana Lúcia Martins (PT/SC) and Carolina Iara (PSOL/SP); representatives of civil society organizations included: Anielle Franco, Executive Director of the Marielle Franco Institute; and Bruna Benevides, Secretary of Political Articulation at ANTRA. Despite the discriminatory historical context that structures the Brazilian political scene, progress in relation to identity, anti-racist and anti-LGBTIphobic issues promoted the growth of parliamentary representation in the country’s legislative houses, provoking the existing system of hierarchical powers. However, the reactions of conservatives in political and social sectors, based on a culture of hatred, further foment the phenomenon of political and electoral violence in the country.

Given this framework of systemic persecution, Anielle Franco opened the debate denouncing how political violence is used as a tool to deprive black and trans women from exercising their political rights, which as a result prevents discussions on gender, race, and sexuality inequalities from taking place in political and institutional spaces. Moreover, Anielle exposed data on political violence during the 2020 elections, one of the most violent elections in recent years, which proves the escalation of political tension against black and trans parliamentarians in the country.

According to a survey by the Marielle Franco Institute [1], 98.5% of black candidates reported having suffered at least one type of political violence. The main violence was virtual, representing 80% of the total attacks suffered. In addition, only 32% of the candidates denounced the experiences they suffered, and among the reasons for not making the complaint public is the fact that they do not feel safe or are afraid to report the violence. In addition to not having support from the political party nor the police, among those who condemned the attacks, 70% said that it did not bring more security,

“There is an urgent need to promote mechanisms to tackle all forms of violence against black, transgender and travestis women, and to reorient existing policies in Brazil that today are still insufficient to guarantee their protection and their political rights,” Anielle concluded.

Parliamentary member, Ana Lúcia Martins, reported that sought protection through legal means, in addition to denouncing the threats on social network platforms, she did not receive any assistance or security from the state nor from her party. She had to bear the costs for her defense. Faced with negligence from the institutions, Ana Lúcia reported that almost nothing happened regarding the investigation of death threats and racist violations suffered. She continues to be a victim of political violence on social networks with messages that incite hatred and intolerance.

Ana Lúcia spoke before the IACHR, “We know that the State’s omission has an origin, the same that ignores the daily death of the black population of this country, whether by urban violence, lack of public policies to eliminate inequalities, racism that structure these inequalities, or by the hands of the State itself (…) Anielle Franco’s question has not yet been answered: Who guarantees the safety of black women elected?”

 Co-councilwoman Carolina Iara, who suffered an attack in her home in January of this year, was direct in her questioning: “What is the connection between these threats towards trans parliamentarians and to the 175 trans women and travestis murdered in Brazil in 2020? What is the connection between Brazil’s high number of deaths of human rights defenders and the threats we are suffering? Who’s going to restore the trauma I have now? What kind of country is this where in addition to being silent, the president, in numerous statements, encourages LGBTIphobia?”

Alluding to the memory of Marielle Franco, Carolina pointed out that she will not be a martyr of this systemic violence that finds black and trans bodies in a necropolitical framework, further trivializing death in the country. Thus, she reiterated that the Brazilian State has an obligation to ensure that all black and trans leaders live safely to take part in politics. Additionally, the responsibility of their security cannot be exclusively left to civil society or the party.

In her speech, Councilwoman Erika Hilton denounced the persecution of human rights defenders and the women elected as an attempt at silence. As councilwoman she recalled a threatening experience of an attempted break-in to her office, as well as the university where she studied the walls were vandalized, “with spray-painted expressions: woman, black, elected, dead. I started my mandate having to prosecute more than 50 people for racist and transphobic attacks. How can I carry out political functions without being guaranteed physical integrity?” she questioned.

With the task of reporting the recommendations to the IACHR, Bruna Benevides further exposed the situation of political violence, especially the negligence of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, which made no statement, action or mobilization around political violence against cis and trans black women. As an example, Bruna cited the bill [2] that aims to protect victims of political violence, but through the transphobic movement of parliamentarians aligned with the fallacious narrative of “gender ideology,” it prevented the extension of protection to trans and travestis parliamentarians.

Bruna reported, “We have also observed several attempts to institutionalize transphobia by assigning biological criteria for access to and guarantee of fundamental rights, denying the right to the recognition of self-declaration and gender identity of trans people in various projects at the federal, state and municipal level. This disregard is corroborated by the negligence and omission of the State in recognizing these political acts of violence, especially against those who do not make up the government base and who are the most affected by political violence.”

Brazilian State representatives sought to escape the complaints with insufficient responses to the demands requested during the hearing, reaffirming a negationist position in relation to racial, transphobic, and political violence that harm political rights and the lives of parliamentarians. Through evasive arguments, representatives avoided and minimized the phenomenon of political violence in the country, attributing the facts to a world context.

In reference to the complaints, the IACHR Commissioners requested explanations from the State. Margarette May Macaulay, Rapporteur on the Rights of People of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination and Rapporteur on the Rights of Women, argued how the Brazilian State monitors cases of violence in the country, moreover she criticized the implementation in law of the Inter-American Convention against Racism, which was already approved by the Federal Senate.

In addition, Joel Hernández, Rapporteur for Brazil, concluded the hearing by emphasizing the importance of advancing women’s political rights and highlighting the State’s rejection in hearing allegations concerning political violence. In addition, Hernández stressed the necessity in observing the ways that virtual harassment operates in order to understand the exercise of political rights in Brazil.

In accordance with complaints cited during the hearing and aimed at guaranteeing the rights and protection of women who are part of the political body of the country, the following recommendations were delivered to the IACHR:

  • Instigate the Brazilian State to be in development with the legislative chambers, as well as in dialogue with the city council members and organs of the justice system. Create mechanisms for referrals and prompt treatment of allegations of political violence against black women- cis and trans/travestis, ensuring identification and accountability of perpetrators of violence and providing psychological support to victims, their advisors and family members;
  • Urge the Brazilian State to promote coordinated and integrated actions with specialized cyber-crime investigation police departments to hold perpetrators accountable and inhibit the use of online tools and platforms for attacks of political violence, in particular when driven by mass and deliberately sponsored professional structures;
  • Prompt the Brazilian State to guarantee the training of judiciary members, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, the Law Office, and the civil and federal police to increase their awareness of political violence against black women, trans and travestis, racial and gender discrimination, hate speech, and create anti-racist legislation, victims’ rights, redress measures, among other topics;
  • Promote public hearings, debates and inter-sectoral discussions between public bodies and society on the impacts of political violence motivated by transphobia and issues related to the trans population;
  • Urge the Brazilian State to advance in its adoption of specific legislation on political violence against women with actions that include preventing, restraining and punishing this type of violence, with a specific look at black women, travestis and transexual peoples;
  • Carry out political tasks by listening to social movements and local civil society organizations to learn more about the current context of violations of the rights of black women, transexuals and travestis who are candidates and elected human rights defenders, with worsening situations of conflict. As well as present the perspectives of international standards that can contribute to the improvement of national protection policies;
  • Place pressure on the Brazilian State to expand the structure and budget of the program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders under the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, and the inclusion of candidates and parliamentarians in this program, in order to ensure the protection of human rights defenders and their free exercise of political rights;

 

Missed the public hearing? Watch the full video here: youtu.be/Uu-U3OIoh2I

[1] https://www.violenciapolitica.org/

[2]https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2020/12/10/camara-aprova-lei-com-medidas-de-combate-a-violencia-politica-contra-mulheres.ghtml

Leyla Huerta – Féminas Perú: The trans population is so invisible that the simple fact that you exist in your environment already makes you an activist

Washington D.C., April 1, 2021 – On June 7, 2015, the Peruvian organization Féminas was created with the aim of empowering trans women to achieve recognition and respect for their rights. The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) spoke with its founder and director, Leyla Huerta, who in addition to explaining the context that inspired the formation of Féminas, also described its future projects and the current situation trans women face in Peru.

Féminas emerged from the empowerment and activism Leyla envisions for trans women. By participating in other organizations that work with this population, Leyla was able to identify that in many cases, the bureaucracy and concentration of responsibilities do not correspond to the needs of women in terms of training and advocacy.

The leader explained, “I started questioning and saw that it made some people uncomfortable. Community activism was not an interesting scene. So, I stayed out of it, not participating in any organization. I continued to grow professionally and had the opportunity to coordinate a big project alongside trans women. With these women I began to create empowerment meetings within the workplace, and that’s how Féminas was formed.”

For Leyla, community activism is fundamental in changing reality and, therefore, the basis of Féminas’ work. “The trans population is so invisible that the simple fact that you exist in your environment already makes you an activist. The mere fact of existing without saying anything, just your presence in a neighborhood, begins to question the existence of gender diversity.”

The impact of COVID and their Plans

The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a year full of challenges for Féminas, both in its organizational processes and advocacy actions. In addition, the abrupt removal of President Martín Vizcarra, meant a break in the discourse of support for the trans population, where previously the presidency and key institutions handled trans populations’ political recognition and guarantee of rights.

Peru does not have a Gender Identity Law, therefore name change is only possible through a judicial recourse, a process that can be very long and expensive. With COVID-19, the possibility of carrying out this process online opened, but trans people have encountered numerous limitations, such as the lack of instruction manuals that clearly explain procedural steps. For this reason, Leyla points out that the pandemic is delaying the objective of accumulating a high number of name change petitions and generating jurisprudence in this process.

A positive aspect is that the pandemic has forced the State to update its information and registration systems. “A girl changes her name now and everything is updated, (because) everything is online. The work that had to be done for this, took time so we do not have to go through all the institutions to change the name on all the documents. It is a great advantage for those who have been able to change their names,” Leyla explains.

A double burden

In the presence of COVID, Féminas provides humanitarian aid to trans women, which involves, in addition to regular meetings, a process of aid planning, identification of beneficiaries, dissemination on social networks, and production of informative videos. And while these actions respond to their vision as an organization, they cannot deny that it implies greater effort, and labor, which makes them reflect on the double burden that transgender people face as a result of their gender expression and gender identity.

“We say that ‘with everything that cis people experience politically, imagine how it is for trans people.’ Because we too are affected by the government, a political landscape where hate speech and the identity of people are used to generate shows and people don’t realize it. People are so consumed by capitalism that they don’t realize they are following this hate speech.”

Regarding the dismissal of Martín Vizcarra on November 10, 2020, Leyla claims it signifies a “lost battle” in the struggle for the recognition and guarantee of rights of trans people. Leyla explains, “Vicarra’s government tried to have a very inclusive vision. Unfortunately, it was also evident that much more is still lacking, but interesting things have occurred. The topic of “pico y género” and ministers discussing gender identity and gender expression, I believe has been very important.”

Féminas recognizes the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, the Ministry of Social Inclusion, and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights as partners in the struggle. Leyla insures that within these Ministries there are people who have helped bring several changes, but due to the political crisis, this support was interrupted by a change in officials.

 What they want in the future

In the last five years, Féminas has managed to be in the Violence Against Women Plan, gotten trans women to be mentioned for the first time in a technical norm, and sought to continue name change trials to generate jurisprudence. Above all, it has fostered trust among the trans community. The latter is a point that Leyla considers fundamental, especially given the history the trans community has endured in Peru.

Leyla knows that to continue achieving these results as well as others, it is necessary to promote training processes and professionalization, which they were able to work on during the quarantine enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. She states, “I want stability for Féminas, I see Féminas that way. An institution where we can provide different services, where we can have a research clinic, as an institution that can channel support for trans women and not lose that theme of idealism.”

The director stresses that in this process of growth they do not want to lose sight of community activism and always give prominence to women. “To continue at the community level (…), to be able to professionalize, contribute and improve the status of trans women, however it must be for trans women themselves and not only to develop the space where they will be. We are not going to achieve this change alone, with one or two people, but rather all together we can advance the conditions of the population,” Leyla reaffirms. She also mentions the political arena, as she considers it an important space for achieving sustainable change.

Race and Equality recognizes the importance of the work carried out by organizations such as Féminas in favor of trans people. We see with particular attention that the health emergency generated by COVID-19 during 2020, exacerbated many challenges. However, during this time the LGBTI community has learned many lessons, continuing to resist, heal and support each other.

Within this context, Race and Equality recognizes the different types of violence that LGBTI people endure, its diverse intersections with identity and sexuality, and the influences specific country contexts play. For this reason, we reiterate our support and accompaniment to organizations, like Féminas, who struggle every day to achieve the recognition of diverse gender expressions and gender identities.

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