Cover photo: Julieta Pereyra. The trans community of Florencio Varela experienced a historic day. The City Council unanimously approved a trans employment quota, establishing that 1% of positions within the municipality and the private sector must be filled by trans people. Like the provincial law on trans labor inclusion, the ordinance is named after the murdered trans activist Diana Amancay Sacayán. “After so many years of struggle, we thought this would never happen. It was an emotional day. Those of us who have jobs can go home and have something warm to eat, but those who are out on the streets don't have that option. Today it was moving to see them in the council chamber; some had arrived without having slept. So, we have to keep fighting so that we can all have formal employment,” Laura Gallardo, a member of the Varela Diversa group and an employee of the Varela Human Rights Department, told Presentes.

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The session was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., but it began more than an hour late, with the room packed with LGBTQ+ activists, political and community groups, and students from Arturo Jauretche University. “It was a militant celebration of diversity to achieve the trans quota in this social context and to mark this achievement within the framework of International Pride Month,” said Marcelo Márquez, president of Varela Diversa. During a recess in the session and before the vote, the activists took the floor and demanded Justice for Diana SacayánThe project was presented by “La Jose” Zalazar Maturano and honored trans activist Claudia Pía Baudracco. It was introduced by the trans area of ​​Varela Diversa in October 2016. “We didn’t have much hope that the trans job quota would be approved. We were very surprised when, three weeks ago, the secretary of the Council president called us to tell us the date the project would be discussed. It was a great joy,” said Márquez.

A cultural battle

Starting today, Mayor Andrés Watson has 15 days to implement the ordinance. Furthermore, the ordinance establishes the creation of a registry of private companies that offer employment to transgender people and mandates the promotion, through mass media, of "the need to create jobs for the transgender community that guarantee their social inclusion," as stated in Article 9 of the ordinance.

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“Here we're talking about a cultural battle, which is the awareness campaign with businesses. And in this sense, we believe that public agencies that have a relationship with the private sector should act as coordinators to expand the quota,” said Márquez. She added, “This regulation is an example for other localities in the region to follow.” The ordinance also addresses the situation where, if a trans person leaves their position or is dismissed, the position will be filled by another trans person to meet the percentage mandated by law. At the provincial level, the Diana Sacayán law, approved 31 months ago, remains unimplemented. because the Buenos Aires provincial government, headed by María Eugenia Vidal, did not sign the implementing decree to put it into effect. “This battle has only just begun. We cannot give up; we have to show society that we are willing to work and that we can. And we also have to pave the way for those who come after us,” said Laura Gallardo.