The Mocha Celis Trans Popular High School is a unique educational experience that has been operating for over five years in Buenos Aires. There, students can complete their primary and secondary education free of charge, as well as learn vocational skills. Fifty percent of the teaching staff are transgender. “You need to create your CV, but you're not very computer savvy. In this workshop, we're going to give you the tools and tips so you can do it,” explains Lux Moreno, a fat and body freedom activist, while presenting the Secretarial workshop. It's one of the summer courses offered at the Mocha Celis Trans Popular High School during the month of February. They are intensive, free, and open to the entire community. The launch of these activities coincides with the first anniversary of the death of activist Lohana Berkins, on February 5th. Berkins was one of the driving forces behind this inclusive institution, which has over 150 students and is located in the heart of the Chacarita neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Next to Lux sits the rest of the teaching staff. More than half are transgender. An audience, undeterred by the nearly 40-degree heat of the afternoon, listens attentively. Each professor describes the content of their courses, focused on the employment of transgender people.

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George Mariño and Luciano Aparicio work at a well-known hair salon in Palermo and are in charge of the workshop that will be held on Mondays. “It’s inspiring to come here and be able to contribute our experience to such a wonderful group from whom we want to learn. We’re here to interact,” says George with great enthusiasm. Viviana González is in charge of the self-defense classes. In them, she will teach tactics “to be able to escape unharmed from an attack,” such as a robbery or rape. The course will have two variations: “feminist” and mixed. “We all have the tools: knees, elbows, legs. Here we’re going to teach you how to use them. Especially women, so they know how to defend themselves against men’s attacks.” Next up is Gabriela Kot, who will teach the course on improvisation and theatrical games: “The idea is for us to connect with our inner child that’s dormant,” she says. She asks participants to wear comfortable clothes and “a desire to play.” Hamir Santillán will teach taekwondo classes. “I always liked teaching, feeling useful to another person, here I am at home,” he says.

Architects of their own destiny

Sasha Sacayán, activist and brother of the murdered transvestite icon Diana SacayánShe will be giving a Zumba workshop on Saturdays: “We want the girls to be able to express what’s inside them through dance. We poor people are always happy when we dance,” she declares. The activist Lara Bertolini She will teach the sewing and dressmaking classes. She emphasizes that more than 50 percent of the teachers are trans: “We are knowledge builders. We are creating something very important,” she says. The course schedule is rounded out with workshops in creative writing, dance techniques and body expression, manicures, a writing workshop, and dog grooming. For those who can afford it, there is a suggested donation of 100 pesos.

Raising Lohana's flags

The official launch of the high school program was on September 11, 2011. While it is recognized for its high school diploma, students can also complete their primary education. It is the only school of its kind in the world, with an average enrollment of 150 students. It is named in honor of a trans woman from Tucumán who worked in the Flores neighborhood and was murdered with three gunshots: she was illiterate. The crime went unpunished, and her colleagues, including Lohana Berkins, fought to ensure she was not forgotten. “The high school program opened my mind, it changed my life. It made me realize I had rights and that I could access them,” Virginia Silveyra, a graduate who studies law and works as an administrative assistant at the National Prosecutor's Office, told Presentes. She was involved in prostitution from the age of 15, but her life was transformed after leaving that situation. “I made decisions I never thought I would make, and they changed my life,” she affirms.

Real inclusion

Francisco Quiñones, the school's director, explains that the high school also offers employment opportunities for teachers. "When people start to learn about their work, they begin to be contacted to lead other workshops or to work elsewhere," he says. Although they promote a proposal for genuine inclusion and integration, Quiñones fears for the school's future. "We're at a disadvantage because the government isn't providing the funding it requires. We need to continue doing all the work we've been doing on a shoestring, from getting textbooks certified to paying the building's expenses and electricity bills." Another threat to the school's survival is the proposed highway through the Fraga neighborhood, located just a few meters from the building. "They want to take away the last thing we have left, which is this space to create possibilities and opportunities for a population that has been marginalized for so long," Quiñones adds.

“Obstacles everywhere”

Alma Fernández is the founding president of the “world’s first trans student center.” “We continue to respond to this society that leaves us without opportunities in a government context where trans people are persecuted for standing on a street corner or for being migrants. Today, we have trans women giving training workshops not only for the trans community but for the entire community, breaking down the idea of ​​the ghetto.” After the teachers finished their presentations, two small murals with quotes from Lohana Berkins framed by colorful butterflies were unveiled. Meanwhile, an audio recording of the activist's voice filled the space. Amid chants and applause, a new and inclusive academic year was inaugurated. “From here, we continue to raise Lohana’s banners, who said that there should be trans people everywhere,” said Fernández. Follow Presentes: Twitter @PresentesTLGBI Instagram: PresentesTLGBI Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/presentesTLGBI/]]>