The demand for justice for Eva Analía Higui de Jesús—attacked for being a lesbian and imprisoned for homicide—was the central theme of the latest Permanent Lesbian Assembly, held this week in Buenos Aires. It was agreed to join the March 8th #NiUnaMenos march, International Women's Day, with a lesbian contingent. The demand #LibertadAHigui (Freedom for Higui) will be included in the document read and distributed that day, along with a denunciation of the attacks and discrimination lesbians face daily. By Amanda Alma Photos: Mariana Leder Kremer Hernández The third Permanent Lesbian Assembly met in Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening. A hundred women from political and student organizations, artists, and independent activists gathered in Parque Centenario to define their actions in the lead-up to Visibility Day. The meeting was dominated by the demand for the release of Eva Analía de Jesús—Higui—who has been imprisoned for over one hundred days. She is accused of homicide for defending herself against a sexual assault . The Assembly resolved to participate in the meetings promoted by the #NiUnaMenos collective with the demand for Justice for Higui as the banner for the march and the International Women's strike on March 8.

What is the purpose of a lesbian assembly?

The Permanent Lesbian Assembly is a proposal to unite the movement, which is currently fragmented among the demands of the women's and LGBTQ+ communities. Generally, their specific demands are relegated to the background in favor of broader issues—such as marriage, gender identity, and employment quotas—and are given little focus on desire, culture, and lived experience. The Assembly's organizational structure mirrors the dynamics of the National Women's Meetings, where ideas circulate freely and there are no designated figures to assume collective representation. Everyone contributes, everyone participates, everyone makes decisions. The challenge these new generations face is maintaining the momentum and consistency of these gatherings over time. This is not the first time such an initiative has been launched. Since the return to democracy, lesbians have used this assembly-based practice at various times to gather strength in the face of violence, to debate their own political agenda, and to outline joint actions that promote visibility, rights, and the discussion of specific issues related to health, sexuality, work, and gender expression.

Violence against lesbians

Violence against lesbians fuels the organization. In 2010, after the murder of Natalia “Pepa” Gaitán in the province of Córdoba—a hate crime perpetrated by her girlfriend's stepfather, who did not accept their relationship—the movement reunited. Independent organizations and activists took it upon themselves to publicize the crime to make it clear: this was an attack on a flamboyant lesbian because of her visibility.

“In contexts of rising sexism, it can happen to anyone.”

Similarly, Higui's arrest spurred the first meeting of the Permanent Lesbian Assembly. Once again, lesbians are seeking to unite because, as one of the participants, who prefers to remain anonymous to avoid personalizing the debate, told Presentes, "in contexts of rising machismo, it can happen to anyone." Social media has become a backbone for making lesbian existence visible and organizing at a national level.

Together to demand justice for Higui

In the first days of January, Marisol, Ju, and Panda, along with other lesbians, went to play soccer in a tournament organized in Higui's neighborhood. Meeting her family and friends inspired them to call the first Assembly, which took place on Monday, January 30th. On Tuesday, February 7th, They met in front of the Malvinas Argentinas Prosecutor's Office, where the legal case is being processed.to support the family and demand Higui's release. Solidarity with Higui's story led to organizing the dissemination of her case and calling on all lesbians to join the cause. At this third Assembly, concern about lesbophobic attacks is at the top of the agenda, along with the right to self-defense. [READ MORE: "She was attacked for being a lesbian and is in jail for homicide"] 

Road to Lesbian Visibility Day

Lesbian Visibility Day, March 7th, was established in 2010 following the murder of "Pepa" Gaitán. Her girlfriend Dayana's stepfather shot and killed her that day after an argument about their relationship. Dayana's mother did not question the relationship. On that March 7th, she tried to stop the assailant, Daniel Torres. "Pepa" Gaitán lived on the outskirts of the city of Córdoba. She was 27 years old and participated in community activities in the Barrio Parque Liceo neighborhood, where her family runs a soup kitchen. Police harassment and unemployment were concerns that Gaitán faced, as they did many masculine lesbians in the country. A year and a half after the murder, in 2013, Torres was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Although the sentence mentioned discrimination based on sexual orientation, it was not classified as a hate crime. The court's bias was evident in the arguments they presented and in the way the prosecution referred to Pepa's identity, stigmatizing lesbians. In recent years, the March 7th demonstrations were held in front of the National Congress. "They lost momentum, and only the streets were occupied," Ju recalled. From the Assembly, she emphasizes the need to "give substance to this date because of its importance to the lesbian movement."

Activities for March 7, 2017

This year, organizations in Buenos Aires plan to move the commemoration to the Retiro district because, as Leyla, one of the speakers at the plenary session, stated, “there are far more people around.” There will be a stage, exhibits, and a reading of a collectively drafted document outlining their stance on discrimination in general and in the health and education systems in particular; sexual, police, and workplace violence; their own culture; and the diverse forms of lesbian identity and existence. The event will be held simultaneously with others in the provinces of Córdoba, Tucumán, and Neuquén, and in the cities of La Plata and Comodoro Rivadavia.

With Higui at the International Women's Strike

The other action being planned and spearheaded by the Assembly is a lesbian contingent for the March 8th march, International Women's Strike Day. They agreed to participate in the meetings organized by the #NiUnaMenos collective to ensure their presence and the voices of their demands. One of these demands is that the call for #LibertadAHigui (Freedom for Higui) be included in the document read and distributed that day, as well as a denunciation of the attacks and discrimination lesbians face daily. They are aware of the ongoing resistance within the women's movement, but they are building solidarity networks that translate into strategies for being present in all spaces. [READ MORE: "They condemn violating property but not a woman's body"] After the March mobilizations, the focus will shift to developing our own agenda. This includes debating issues such as work, access to healthcare, sexual and police violence, and countless other topics. For now, the Assembly believes that the urgent matter of Higui's unjust detention requires a central place on the agenda, along with the utmost effort in organizing and solidarity to secure her release.

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