#CHILE Activists denounce transphobic attack at LGBT+ club

The security guards did not allow them to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity and two of them were forcibly removed.

October 3, 2018

By Airam Fernández, from Santiago.

Six trans activists were assaulted by a security guard at the Illuminati nightclub, located in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, Chile, a popular spot for the LGBT+ community. It happened in the early hours of Sunday, September 30th, when, upon trying to use the restroom corresponding to their gender identity, a security guard confronted them and demanded they move to another line.

When the argument began, they refused to go into the adjacent bathroom. The guard became increasingly agitated, while one of them filmed the scene. Two of the activists were forcibly removed by security personnel, while their companions tried to resolve the situation inside.

Eiden Muñoz is one of those attacked and says he had never experienced anything like it since his social transition two years ago: he wanted to use the men's restroom and they wouldn't let him. Faced with pressure from security staff, he had to use the women's. “I wasn't mistreated as much as my friends. But I think it's terrible that an incident like this happens in a gay club,” he laments.

After the argument and the scuffle over the bathroom, Muñoz decided to speak with the person in charge of the club, a woman, but he got nowhere. “I approached her to explain what had happened, but she didn't believe me and said that we had assaulted the security guards. That wasn't true. I asked her to check the security cameras, but she refused. Then I told her I wanted my entrance fee back, because this happened less than two hours after I arrived at the club,” recounts the 23-year-old, who was at the club to celebrate the closing of the Intensive Activist School, an event organized by the OTD, in which he participated.

The attacks were captured on video and the case went viral on social media. This week, with the support of Organizing Trans Diversities (OTD), the victims filed a formal complaint with the Carabineros (Chilean police), which has already been forwarded to the Central-North Prosecutor's Office in Santiago, after physical injuries were confirmed.

“The attitude of the club is erratic”

“What happened is very serious and it also happened in a place that is promoted as open to diversity, which should be a space of protection and support for all trans people and for the entire community,” says Matías Valenzuela, legal advisor of the OTD.

Following the public complaint, Illuminati contacted OTD to try to justify the aggression. In writing, they stated that "the customers" entered the same stall in one of the restrooms and that this is what caused the "incident." But this is not what the recorded video shows. "The club's attitude is erratic. At the very least, they should offer an apology," says Valenzuela.

Both the activists and the organization hope this will result in sanctions against the security guards. They are considering filing an appeal under Law 20.609—known as the “Zamudio Law”—which establishes measures against discrimination. Furthermore, they are demanding that the nightclub permanently make its restrooms gender-neutral and commit to training all its staff, especially security personnel, to ensure respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals.

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