On November 11th, the city of Paraná in Entre Ríos province held its Pride March. Trans activist and leader Keili González, who also serves as the press officer for the Municipality of Nogoyá, was among those who led the march, topless and painted. Immediately, Daniel Antonio Koch, a deputy from the Renewal Front, criticized her with discriminatory arguments, also violating the Gender Identity Law: “Lautaro González, or Keili, as you prefer to call her, had the nerve to lead that march, when it was the Entre Ríos state that invested in her breast augmentation, so that in a completely reprehensible act, she could display them while leading this march,” said the legislator, who was reported a few days later to the Provincial Undersecretariat of Human Rights and the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI). Yesterday, he was also condemned with a proposed declaration by his colleagues in the Entre Ríos Chamber of Deputies, but it did not pass as expected. "We thought there would be some kind of exhibition, but there wasn't even a mention: nothing was said. Only the document signed by everyone appeared," Keili told Presentes.

Daniel Koch, the repudiated congressman

Presented by Representative Emilce Pross of the Justicialist Front for Victory, the draft declaration "expresses its repudiation of the publicly known statements made by Representative Koch and expresses solidarity with citizen Keili González." "It is necessary to consider that the views expressed by Koch reveal a profound ignorance of what sexual diversity entails, the history of struggles and achievements of the LGBTI community throughout Argentina, and in everyday life in particular," states the text, which had been announced as scheduled for 11:00 a.m., but was not even included on the agenda.

"A new invisibility"

“I thank the congresswoman for what she did, because she did this to defend all of us. And me, whom she doesn’t even know. But what was supposed to be a condemnation ended up being yet another instance of being made invisible,” she told Presents Keili, who traveled from Nogoyá to attend the session, was there with some colleagues, waiting for the legislators to condemn the incident and perhaps speak. But nothing happened. "At one point, they brought me a piece of paper and said, 'Okay, it's approved.' It was a second attack because what they did only serves to make us invisible again. Not just me, but our entire community. It's a symbolic issue, but it's important: that their statements be publicly condemned, as they are not only offensive but also a direct consequence of their profound ignorance of the problems faced by the trans community," she emphasized. Furthermore, as she had stated before, the trans activist reiterated the personal bias the congressman demonstrated toward her: "First, he tried to frame the debate as a moral issue, which it isn't: he was bothered by the way I expressed myself, when that's not something he can comment on because it's a matter of my private life." But now he's attacking me again with what he posted on his social media when he was supposed to be the one being condemned, she insisted. And he's also trying to use me to attack his political rival.

“These ideas are worrying at this point.”

Among the arguments, the draft declaration presented by Representative Pross states: “It is concerning that at this point in time, given the progress made in human rights at the national and international levels, we are encountering these kinds of conceptions and expressions, reviving such painful setbacks that only serve to exacerbate discriminatory acts, perspectives, and ways of thinking, thus enabling the ideological interplay that widens subjective divides, which have a significant impact on the formation of collective opinion.” After reviewing the laws won by the LGBTQ+ community that have allowed them to begin putting an end to the discrimination they suffer, such as the Equal Marriage Law, the Gender Identity Law, and the Comprehensive Sex Education Law—among others—the text emphasizes that the legislative body is not a realm of “moral reserve,” but rather “the quintessential democratic arena for giving voice to the most vulnerable, to those who are different yet equal, to those excluded before, now, and always.”  

Deputy Emilce Pross, author of the condemnation bill.

“We urge him to retract his statement and issue a public apology.”

The Undersecretary of Human Rights and head of the Provincial Area of ​​Sexual Diversity and Gender Identity, Matías Germano, condemned Deputy Koch's statements as soon as they were made. He and his team met with the offended activist and expressed their solidarity and support for the LGBTQ+ community. “It is regrettable that a deputy from our province has made offensive and discriminatory remarks about a citizen of Entre Ríos, violating her gender identity protected by National Law 26.743, and demonstrating a profound ignorance that offends society as a whole due to its transphobic and persecutory nature.” In addition to receiving the complaint in his department, he supported the formal filing with INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism) denouncing the legislator's statements and the media coverage of the incident. “We will send the reports resulting from these complaints to the Chamber authorities and to Representative Koch himself, urging him to retract his statements and issue a public apology. Disappointed with the failed condemnation in the Chamber of Deputies, Keili remarked: “My aim here is to broaden the scope of this struggle. As a militant and activist, what I seek is not only to prevent violence against me but also against any of my female colleagues, to tell them not to be afraid to turn to the appropriate organizations. Because in that sense, I am privileged, since almost all my female colleagues constantly experience violence, even physical violence, and for a legislator to say this only fuels that kind of attitude. It is the State perpetrating violence against me and against us.”