By Gabriela Cruz, from San Miguel de Tucumán. Photos: La Palta Collective / Elena Nicolay and Ignacio López Isasmendi. “We demand justice for all. Not one more trans woman lost, we want to live”: this is how the march led by Libertad y Orgullo Trans Organizadxs (LOTO) , departing from Plaza Urquiza shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7. The Ni Una Menos Tucumán (Not One Less Tucumán) banner accompanied the more than 300 people as they marched through the central streets of the provincial capital, supporting the slogan “Without trans women, there is no Ni Una Menos.” The march finally stopped at Plaza Independencia: standing on the esplanade of the Government House, members of LOTO, along with dozens of other demonstrators, held up photos of victims of transfemicide. The names of each of them had been recited throughout the march as another way of remembering them and demanding justice for them.

Justice for Diana and for all

“From LOTO, and together with other civil, political, and human rights organizations, we are calling for this march on the second anniversary of the transphobic murder of Diana Sacayán, an activist for the rights of the trans and travesti community,” read one of the organization's representatives. “Once again, we take to the streets to demand justice for our trans sisters, for cases already known, such as that of…” Celeste, victim of rape and abuse of power by police officers from Police Station 4* who continue to hold their positions in other police departments."

[READ MORE: No Justice for Celeste in Tucumán]

"For Ayelén Gómez, murdered in 9 de Julio Park, and for more recent cases like that of Lourdes Reinoso, murdered along with her 80-year-old aunt, by her ex-partner; Natasha Banegas, who suffered a gun attack at her workplace"Receiving 5 shots in her leg and 2 in her hand; by Jorgelina Zalazar, victim of violence by a taxi driver," he listed.

[READ MORE: The trial for the transvesticide of Diana Sacayán begins on February 16 ]

What were the demands of the march?

Among the main demands of the march are the implementation of a job quota law for transgender people, an end to media mistreatment, and an end to the constant institutional violence they suffer, both in the public health system and the police force, which in many cases does not recognize gender identity and therefore violates the law. “To cite one example, there is the case of Marcela: they refused to admit her to a public hospital because she is a transgender woman. When they finally did, it was to a men's ward. Paula, who was arrested by police for no reason, spent eleven days in deplorable conditions. Aracely was assaulted by a female officer at her workplace,” they added as the document was read aloud. Towards the end, they called for the full implementation of the Gender Identity Law. They also expressed their commitment to the fight for the slogans 'Recognition is Repair' for the benefit of older trans women who suffered police and state violence, and for 'Trans Childhood and Adolescence Without Violence'.

"We have a date on March 8th"

A separate paragraph was dedicated to the condemnation of the labor reform and solidarity with the people who were fired, particularly the INTI workers with whom they had been working to raise awareness in the community about the misuse of liquid silicone in the bodies of trans people. “The fight is in the streets and in unity with all oppressed sectors; that is where our strength lies. That is why we have another date in the streets on March 8th, and the task of ensuring that the strike against gender violence is expressed forcefully in our province. We want a dignified life, we want respect,” the members of this new Tucumán organization stated in the closing document, demonstrating their strength in defending their rights.

COMPLETE DOCUMENT READ DURING THE MARCH (LOTO): 

"From LOTO, together with other civil, political and human rights organizations, we are calling for this march on the 2nd anniversary of the transvesticide of Diana Sacayán, activist for the rights of the trans and travesti collective/movement. The trial, in which her ex-partner Gabriel Marino is the sole defendant, will begin on February 16. We stand with him and demand justice for Diana. Once again, we took to the streets to demand justice for our trans sisters, for the well-known cases like that of Celeste, a victim of rape and abuse of power by police officers from the 4th precinct, who continue to hold positions in other police departments; for Ayelen Gomez, murdered in Parque 9 de Julio; and for the more recent cases like that of Lourdes Reinoso, murdered along with her 80-year-old aunt by her ex-partner; Natasha Banegas, who suffered a gun attack at her workplace, receiving 5 shots in her leg and 2 in her hand; and Jorgelina Zalazar, a victim of violence by a taxi driver. For this reason and more, we demand the immediate approval and regulation of the Labor Quota Law for trans people, since having no other job option, we see prostitution as the only immediate way out, leaving us exposed to all kinds of violence and even death. In the province, the job quota project was not even discussed due to the intervention of the Church and the complicity of the political forces of the regime, which are the same ones that voted for the Macri administration's Pension Reform. In our complaints, we also mention the mistreatment we suffer at the hands of the media when reporting on the trans and travesti community, in addition to the constant institutional violence perpetrated by public health services and the police. For example, the case of Marcela, who was refused admission to a public hospital because she is a trans woman, and when she was finally admitted, it was to a men's ward. Paula was arrested by police for no reason and spent 11 days in deplorable conditions. Aracely was assaulted by a female officer at her workplace; while being beaten, she managed to film the attack, yet this officer continues to work and has never received any repercussions. Neither of these cases respects our self-perceived identities and fuels the hatred we suffer from society. Therefore, we demand the full implementation of the Gender Identity Law. And we will continue fighting for the slogans #RecognizingIsRepairing for our older sisters who suffered police and state violence #TransChildhoodAndAdolescenceWithoutViolence #Transfemicide #Travesticides so that the charges against hate crimes against the trans and travesti population are recognized as such and made visible. #WeRejectLaborReformAndLayoffs We stand in solidarity with our laid-off colleagues, especially those at INTI with whom we had been working to raise community awareness about the misuse of liquid silicone in our bodies. The fight is in the streets and in unity with all oppressed sectors; that is where our strength lies. That is why we have another date in the streets on March 8th, and the task of ensuring that the strike against gender-based violence is expressed forcefully in our province.

We want a dignified life, we want respect. #NotOneLessTrans.

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