Keili González reported that while she was walking through the center of the Entre Ríos city of Nogoyá, a group of men insulted and threatened her from a car for more than a block and a half. She has already filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office, and tomorrow there will be a demonstration in front of the courthouse. At midnight on Sunday, March 12, Keili González was heading toward the red-light district of Nogoyá, Entre Ríos province. For some time, she has traveled these blocks to help women in prostitution, bringing them condoms or over-the-counter medications. As she walked, a traffic jam interrupted her path. "We have to make faggots like you disappear," a group of men began shouting at her from a dark car, while shining a spotlight on her. For more than a block and a half, the insults and threats mingled with the sound of music coming from the car's stereo. Despite her fear and the lights, Keili was able to recognize one of them.

Local landmark in a conservative city

Keili is 24 years old, a social communicator who works in the press department of the local municipality. At 17, she became a local figurehead for sexual diversity when she obtained permission from the authorities at the Antonio Sagarna Teacher Training School—where she was the flag bearer in her fifth year—to attend school dressed according to her gender identity. After posting on her Facebook account details of what happenedAccompanied by her family, friends, colleagues, and social organizations, she reported the incident to the courts. "It's very important that this violence be brought to light so that other girls who go through the same thing can report it," she said. Nogoyá is a city of 28,000 inhabitants, located 107 kilometers from Paraná, the capital of Entre Ríos.

Disappearances and torture

“It's a traditional, conservative city with strong Catholic roots, where everyone keeps their mouths shut. It's the city with the highest number of missing persons relative to its population during the dictatorship,” said Juan Cruz Varela, editor of Página Judicial. Last year, residents were shocked by the arrival of provincial and national media reports of physical and psychological torture at the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the city's convent.

Court appearances and mobilization

On Wednesday the 15th, Keili, along with her lawyer Marianela Manassali, expanded the complaint to the Nogoyá Prosecutor's Office, headed by prosecutor Guillermo Uriburu, so that the case could be classified under the Gender Violence Law. "Furthermore, thanks to the statement from the boy's mother that Keili recognized, we were able to determine who the companions were," she told Presents the defender. She added that Keili received a formal letter from one of the attackers who felt "aggrieved" by the complaint the young woman made on social media. "We consider it a psychological threat to withdraw the complaint," she stated. Prosecutor Uriburu reported that restrictive measures were ordered preventing the attackers from approaching "or bothering" the complainant. He explained that for now, these are generic, "unpleasant" incidents. However, they will be investigated. Tomorrow, at 5:00 p.m., the Dissident Forum, the MST, and other local organizations will gather in front of the Nogoyá courts. "This call is to make visible what happened, but above all in solidarity with all our comrades. We women have to analyze that we are victims of a system that endorses this type of behavior and guarantees heterosexuality certain practices in our bodies," Keili told Presents.

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