Chilean trans leader, icon of the transvestite struggle in Latin America, poet and social worker, Claudia Rodríguez She has an activist background that began in the '90s. In this video, filmed between Santiago and Buenos Aires, she talks about her childhood, her identity, and the current situation of the trans population in Chile. By Pili Cabrera 

Activism in Chile

"The only thing that's standing out now in the work of trans organizations is the issue of gender identity. Trans women are very hopeful that this will mean a change in their lives. That it will mean better care for trans people in public health services, inclusion, and access to comprehensive education."

Woman or transvestite?

"I realized that there was a system that divided by genitalia...a body part that had never mattered before school. I remember that in the village where we lived, I was just one of the children of the village's parents. The women received nicer gifts than the men: they had their hair braided beautifully. My mother gave my sister wonderful hairstyles. I wished they had done that for me, which is why I sometimes wished I were a little girl.

Right to be a monster

"But then, with time, you realize that being a transvestite is about breaking whatever you want. Breaking as much as possible: the body, desire, love, family, any kind of nature. You have to break it! Therefore, being a transvestite isn't necessarily about being a woman, in my case. Being a transvestite—and I'm increasingly accepting this, as Susy Shock says—is having the right to be a monster."

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