"The Butterfly Revolution" is an investigation into the living conditions of the transvestite and trans population in the City of Buenos Aires. A decade later, it updates the path begun by "The Quest for One's Own Name," a landmark book by trans activist Lohana Berkins and anthropologist Josefina Fernández, who also coordinated this publication. By Natalia Gelós. In 2005, the book "The Quest for One's Own Name" shed light on a subject previously shrouded in indifference. Coordinated by Lohana Berkins (president of the Association for the Struggle for Transvestite and Transsexual Identity) and anthropologist Josefina Fernández, the publication explored the living circumstances of the transvestite and trans community in Argentina. From police harassment in the streets to family discrimination, and including difficulties accessing housing and healthcare, the book focused on first-person narratives in addition to quantitative research. More than a decade later, and dedicated to the memory of Berkins, a key figure who passed away in 2016, “The Butterfly Revolution,” an update of “The Quest for One’s Own Name,” was published. It was a collaborative effort between the Gender and Sexual Diversity Program of the Public Defender’s Office of the City of Buenos Aires and the Mocha Celis Trans Popular High School. In the midst of these publications, the Gender Identity Law (2012) was passed, and this legislative milestone serves as a turning point for examining the present, considering both the progress made and the outstanding issues and urgent needs of the trans community.

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“Although the law is relatively recent, research shows its impact on the empowerment of the trans community and their self-recognition as subjects of rights.” Undoubtedly, its enactment constituted progress toward building trans citizenship – she says, clarifying – which does not mean achieving full citizenship. We know that laws alone do not guarantee effective access to the rights they enshrine. In fact, for example, the Gender Identity Law establishes free access to comprehensive healthcare, yet there is no budget allocation to guarantee it,” Josefina Fernández tells us. Presents.

Advances and drawbacks

Among the positive changes compared to 2005, when the previous data was collected, the report highlights improved healthcare access, linked to better treatment at healthcare facilities: transvestites and trans women are now using public healthcare for hormone therapy and regular checkups. They also note an increase in the number of those studying and celebrate that gender identity is no longer a significant barrier to renting an apartment. However, these data also have a downside: education and access to decent housing are two issues that still require attention and support. Education is a key: it opens doors to better job opportunities, which in turn lead to an improved quality of life. The book states: “Today there are more trans women and transvestites who are studying or want to study. However, the improvements recorded have not yet translated into higher levels of education, and it is alarming that a very high percentage of those surveyed still have an educational level below the minimum required by the Argentine state.”

Education as the key

Another new finding: among those who reported studying, almost 16% said they were doing so at university. And trans men have a much higher level of education than trans women/transvestites, although it is in this sphere that they experience violence and discrimination. Therefore, the study indicates that their entry into and retention within the system requires educational opportunities that take into account their living conditions (flexible schedules, remedial courses, scholarships) and training for teachers on gender and sexual diversity issues to promote inclusion and combat prejudice.

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Educational attainment has a direct impact on people's employment situation. Prostitution remains the primary source of income: almost 90% of those between 18 and 29 report being in prostitution or consider themselves sex workers. This figure decreases with age. Overall, more than 70% of trans women/travestis live off prostitution, but more than 80% of them would like to leave it. Among the 10.3% who say they have no intention of leaving, a significant factor is vulnerability: few prospects of finding a job that would provide housing and cover daily expenses. Survivors In the book, Congresswoman Karina Nazábal writes that thinking about trans and travesti people who live past 35 is to think about survivors. She justifies this with a chain of events: “Expressing their self-perceived identity means that approximately 98% of trans and travesti people do not have access to formal employment, and 79% fall into prostitution as their only source of income, which leads to greater exclusion and vulnerability, resulting in an average life expectancy of 35 years.” Of the 192 trans and travesti women who died, 63.9% died from HIV or related illnesses (tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc.), and almost 14.7% were murdered. The average age is 32 (the two male cases involved individuals under 40, and the causes of death are unknown). Lohana Berkins said: “For a transvestite, reaching old age is almost like belonging to an exclusive club, because the sinister consequences of marginal life—which lead to a death always considered premature in terms of population statistics—are the perennial consequences of a persecuted identity.”

To perceive and accept oneself from an early age

92.2% of the trans women and transvestites surveyed said they had identified with a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth since the age of 13 or earlier. The majority—an increase compared to the previous study—socially accepted their identity between the ages of 14 and 18. Among trans men, this acceptance occurs later, and this delay, according to Alan Otto Prieto, is a product of the patriarchal system they denounce. As in 2005, housing is one of the problems that most affects this community. Moreover, in 2016, the number of transvestites and trans women living in hotel rooms, boarding houses, and precarious housing increased. And 65.8% of those living alone have done so since the age of 18, or even earlier: almost half leave home between the ages of 15 and 18. The age at which this occurs is directly related to the social acceptance of their gender identity.

 Institutional violence, something that doesn't change

One issue that persists is police violence. Aggressive situations also continue in society: eight out of ten trans women were victims of mockery and insults, seven out of ten suffered robberies, and six out of ten were victims of physical assault. For 74.2% of trans women and transvestites, the violence has not stopped. In this context, the question arises about urgent needs: Where do we need to act most quickly? Fernández says: “I believe the outstanding issues have to do with very specific policy measures, such as, for example, the enactment of a National Transgender Employment Quota Law, in order to promote real equality of opportunity in public employment; and the enactment of the National Law for Historical Reparation of Transvestite and Transgender People Victims of Institutional Violence. Regarding health, it is necessary to insist on budget allocations to guarantee access to the rights enshrined in the Gender Identity Law (the right to hormone treatments and bodily modifications).” She also adds the right to housing. Furthermore, Fernández emphasizes cultural change, especially in the acceptance of transgender identities, and above all, in childhood:Acceptance of self-perceived gender identities is key to achieving full citizenship”.]]>