ARGENTINA

“ The most affected and vulnerable population during the pandemic is that of trans women. Because the number of trans women who still work in prostitution is very high in the province of Buenos Aires,” Daniela Castro, director of Sexual Diversity for that province, which has 17 million inhabitants and a large part of the LGBTI+ population, told Presentes.

“Our colleagues who used to receive a daily income no longer have the resources to guarantee a meal. The province of Buenos Aires is in crisis due to the emergency and because a large part of the LGBTI+ population lives here. We are receiving an enormous number of calls for help. The most urgent need is food , and we are working hard on this,” she reported.

To address this, the Ministry of Women, Gender Policies, and Diversity, headed by Estela Díaz, is working on several fronts. On one hand, together with the provincial Ministry of Development, they are "ensuring food baskets for these women in prostitution. We requested additional funding specifically to reach them, and it's already starting to be implemented," Castro stated.

On the other hand, with the National Women, Gender and Diversity program, they are working to allocate funds from the Hacemos Futuro program specifically for transvestites and transgender people. “It’s one of the first programs implemented. It provides 8,500 pesos. We already have more than 5,000 applications from our colleagues,” Castro said.

Letter from a transvestite activist to the President regarding the coronavirus pandemic

“We are strengthening food assistance for trans and gender-diverse people by incorporating them into the social programs of the @MDSNacion . Given the health emergency, it is essential to preserve the health and protect the rights of the most vulnerable,” the national ministry reported on its Twitter account.

The National Institute Against Discrimination and Xenophobia (INADI) reported that they are also working with the Ministry of Social Development to provide food assistance to transgender and transvestite individuals. “Through the Secretariat of Social Economy, all transgender and transvestite people in our country who do not have formal employment or who are in a situation of social vulnerability are being enrolled in the 'Potenciar Trabajo' (Strengthen Work) program,” they stated. The program helps them complete their education, receive vocational training, and also supports entrepreneurial ventures they may develop within the framework of the informal economy. 

“We successfully arranged for two trans women, who returned from Spain and were at risk of becoming homeless in the City of Buenos Aires, to find a place to complete their quarantine under the conditions recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Nation,” shared INADI, where Ornella Infante, a trans activist, is in charge of the Directorate of Policies and Practices Against Discrimination.

PERU

The trans community has been organizing to confront the crisis through donations, monitoring of trans social organizations, and municipal policies. director of Féminas , indicates that they have provided support to 181 trans women in Callao, East Lima, North Lima, and South Lima, thanks to donations collected in the first days after the quarantine was announced. They have also managed to support 120 women in downtown Lima thanks to the Lima Municipality's Women's Office.

Huerta points out that strong bonds of solidarity have been generated among trans women in these times of crisis; some even cook for their own homes and for the homes of other women, so that they do not go hungry while they cannot go out.

Taki Robles, from the trans association Amigas por Siempre (Friends Forever ) in Callao, explains that they are facing the crisis with two measures: distributing donated food supplies and providing meals through a community kitchen. “This pandemic affects us because we live day to day, and this measure caught the vast majority of us with empty pockets, which makes us extremely vulnerable and marginalized. Confining the women to their homes only means watching them languish without social assistance, especially since many haven't qualified for the 380 soles bonus,” she emphasized.

PARAGUAY

According to trans human rights activist Yren Rotela, 93% of the trans population is engaged in sex work, and most are currently homeless or have no known whereabouts. The health emergency has reduced the demand for sex services, but at the same time, cases of police violence have been reported . The Lince Group, a police unit known for arbitrary arrests and human rights violations, is harassing them even more than before and threatening to detain them. Unable to go out in public, organizations like Casa Diversa, Escalando, and Panambi are appealing for donations to meet the needs of trans people during the emergency, and are collecting non-perishable food items for community kitchens .

EL SALVADOR

For the Solidarity Association to Promote Human Development (ASPIDH Arcoiris Trans), the main impact on the trans population is the lack of economic income for sex workers, entrepreneurs, informal vendors and older adults who have not been taken into account by the emergency subsidy programs announced by the government. 

“I believe that the Salvadoran State is not prepared for this type of national emergency or any other disaster, at the level of the general population and much less for populations in context of vulnerability such as the LGBTI,” Mónica Linares of ASPIDH told Presentes.

GUATEMALA

Ilse Janeth, from the "El Trébol" collective of transgender sex workers in Guatemala City, issued a call for solidarity on social media regarding the worsening situation of sex work they face due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Responses were swift, and several civil society organizations, including Otrans Reinas de la Noche and the Trans-Formación collective of transgender men, began collecting food for this sector of the LGBTIQ+ community.

“We need social and humanitarian services for the transgender sex worker population in various parts of Guatemala. Remember that everyone talks about everyone else and expresses their needs, but we, as human beings who live from sex work, live day to day and have to eat, pay rent, electricity, water, and other bills. And what work is there for us transgender women if not for social, political, and religious rejection? The pandemic is spreading, and it's necessary to stay home, but who will help us? There are elderly transgender women who have no family, others live on the streets. That's why, sisters, we must pray to God; He is the only one who can help us. He gives us both the wound and the cure. Let's be vigilant. We love you all very much. Many blessings to everyone,” Ilse Janeth of the “El Trébol” collective posted on her social media.

MEXICO

The most prominent problems are those faced by transgender sex workers and the elderly. The Center for Support of Trans Identities, AC, has launched a fundraising campaign to help protect those most at risk of infection. Casa de Muñecas Tiresias AC and Casa Hogar Paola Buenrostro have also launched campaigns in response to the health emergency, which has led many transgender women, people living with HIV, and those with degenerative diseases to remain in responsible social isolation. They have also closed and canceled all their meetings, services, and events.

Jessica Marjane, a trans activist from the Trans Youth Network, says: “ We need to look at the fact that private spaces are the primary spaces of violence against women and LGBTI people, and in public spaces, people belonging to street populations are the most affected, or spaces where people are deprived of their freedom, such as prisons.”

CHILI

The trans community in Chile fears that the country will implement a measure already adopted by Panama and Peru to try to contain the spread of Covid-19: restricting outings for emergencies based on gender, with women not allowed to go out on the same days as men. “Trans people would be affected by this, especially trans women, because it could lead to discrimination and even trigger a witch hunt,” fears Franco Fuica, head of legislation and public policy at Organizing Trans Diversities (OTD). 

So far, OTD has not received any complaints of discrimination or police mistreatment against LGBT people in the country. However, they are handling several cases of transgender people who registered under the Gender Identity Law implemented last December, but whose names are outdated in the Chilean National Police's Virtual Police Station. “That's a problem, because the name on their identity card may differ from the name on the permits they need to be able to go out in certain areas, and this can be problematic during a police check. We are trying to act as intermediaries with the relevant authorities to find a solution for those affected,” they told Presentes.   

The quarantine decreed in some districts of Santiago also includes areas frequented by most trans women who engage in sex work. Many of them are migrants and live in very precarious situations, Fuica said. In response, OTD is exploring the possibility of launching a series of online training sessions so they can use the internet and other digital platforms as a means of economic support. To date, no LGBTQ+ organization has released figures on the number of LGBTQ+ people infected or killed by COVID-19 in the country.

HONDURAS

The living conditions of transgender women in Honduras have reached unsustainable levels, according to the Trans Feminist Association (AFET). Many of them survive through sex work on the streets of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, the largest cities in the Central American country.
 
According to official figures, the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus has risen to 382 active cases and 23 deaths. On March 23, the government of Juan Orlando Hernández decreed a total curfew throughout Honduras to contain the spread of the virus, which has alarmed countries around the world. The measure has been extended until April 19.
 
“We have been significantly affected by the pandemic that has broken out in our territory, because many of our colleagues who are sex workers, unable to work, have no income and are suffering financially. The same is true for our colleagues who own their own businesses,” Allyson Hernández, deputy director of the Trans Feminist Association-AFET, told Presentes.
 
Since the curfew went into effect and markets and businesses closed, protests have erupted in Tegucigalpa due to food shortages. Hernández ordered the military into the streets to suppress the demonstrations. It is estimated that three people were injured during the eviction.
 
“As an organization, we have shown solidarity by providing food and supplies. We have asked for donations from anyone who wishes to contribute so we can deliver them to these colleagues who lack a stable income and are experiencing hardship right now,” the activist stated.
 
No Antiretroviral Therapy for People with HIV:
 
According to complaints received by Trans-AFET, the health system is not providing antiretroviral medications to people with HIV. Adding to the shortage is the mobility restriction in place until April 19, the day the quarantine period is expected to end.
 
“With this health crisis, some of my colleagues need their antiretroviral medications and can’t access them. Some are running out of medication,” Hernández stated.
 
According to official information from the Ministry of Health of the Central American country, they invest approximately 80 million lempiras in antiretroviral therapy, which covers 60 percent of patients. It is estimated that as of September 2019, some 37,000 people were HIV-positive.
 
“It’s deplorable what we are going through. There are organizations that are helping by delivering medications door-to-door, but they can’t keep up because the population is so large. Some of my colleagues only have enough medication for two more days,” she emphasized.
 
Trans-AFET regrets the lack of progress in healthcare access for the trans population in Honduras. They lament the absence of an endocrinology unit within the system to address the needs of the trans community.
 
“It is regrettable that we do not have a document recognizing our legal, economic, political, and cultural rights as individuals. The lack of a gender identity law limits our access to quality healthcare,” emphasized Allyson Hernández.