Farewell to César Cigliutti, pioneer of the fight for LGBT human rights
César Cigliutti, president of the Argentine Homosexual Community and a crucial activist in the defense of human rights, died at the age of 63 in the City of Buenos Aires.
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Photos: CHA, book Acá Estamos and courtesy of Pedro Paradiso Sottile
Until his last day, Cesar Cigliutti – president of the Argentine Homosexual Community (CHA) – was a fundamental figure in the fight for LGBT+ rights. Born in Concepción, Entre Ríos, on March 5, 1957, he passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 63 in Buenos Aires.
César was a crucial activist in the defense of human rights. And for many of us who are active today, he was one of the first visible faces in the media with his message of struggle and pride. He was a strategic figure in fostering debate, communicating, and advocating for LGBT+ struggles as part of the human rights agenda.
The history of LGBT+ activism in Argentina owes a part to César in all its achievements. Alongside Carlos Jáuregui, they could be seen putting their bodies and voices on the line in the media, raising awareness, for example, alongside the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in 1986, at a time when not everyone understood the demands of sexual diversity: “We went to the marches every Thursday (referring to the Plaza de Mayo vigils). And the first table we set up at a March of Resistance was a real struggle. Because all the human rights organizations were saying: what do human rights have to do with faggots? What are faggots doing here? And it was hard,” César explains in the documentary about Carlos's life, “The Unforgettable Faggot.”
“When you talk about discrimination and the strongest insult that society has, like the word 'faggot,' to overcome that you have to work hard, constantly, and have many strategies. Everything was new, because everything was emerging at that time,” César shared in the documentary.
César always made time to share the news, to answer the phone for anyone who needed it. César conducted himself with humility and support, action and visibility in every human rights cause. “We finally won the battle because we were also right. What is right? To have the same rights as the rest of society. There is no argument against that,” he recently explained in a conversation with France 24 .
His loving teaching style and patience were integral to his activism. Those of us who consulted him so many times can attest to his support, his clear explanations, and his advocacy for causes that urgently needed a voice and rights.
It is history and its protagonists who, in greeting him today, exemplify that activist DNA. Gabriela Mansilla, mother of the first trans girl to obtain her identity document, bids him farewell, saying: “Thanks to your support, Lulu received her ID.”
“He was an exemplary person and activist.”
“I was lucky enough to be with him the day before. We spent five hours chatting and laughing. He was so well, so happy,” says Pedro Paradiso Sottile, executive director of ILGA LAC and an activist with CHA. He recounts that during that visit the day before, he brought César a Playmobil-type figure, a kind of figurine he had commissioned from Los Amigos de Lusi as a gift. They delivered it on Saturday. Pedro’s children were fascinated by how the Playmobil Uncle César had turned out.
César loved it and placed it in his library, next to another little doll, the one that represented Carlos Jáuregui, made for the 36th anniversary of the CHA.
“From the moment we met Carlos and César, it was like a brotherhood,” says Pedro, deeply moved. “Carlos is gone, and now César is gone. But he will live on in his legacy. He deserves the greatest tribute, for everything he gave us all. He was an exemplary person and activist. He taught us so much, with love, affection, honesty, and conviction. We will continue his legacy at CHA, fighting with that same consistency, passion, and conviction, in his memory and in his honor.”
These days he was working with several organizations on the National Law for Labor Quotas and Inclusion for Transvestite and Transgender People. A few weeks ago, when a young gay man was once again refused a blood donation because of his sexual orientation, Cigliutti denounced the incident until he succeeded in getting the Garrahan Hospital to apply the existing law. This law wouldn't have been possible without all the work he and other activists had already done years before.
The first Pride march in Argentina
In the history of Chilean activism, it's common to find the phrase "the CHA was the first to," and that encapsulates much of Cigliutti's work. For example, in 1987, when they organized the Stop AIDS campaign, long before the government and other organizations addressed the issue, they were already out in the streets talking about prevention and sexual health. The CHA was also the first LGBTQ+ NGO to obtain legal status in 1992.
“Why deprive ourselves of the word pride?” said César Cigliutti when the first Pride March in Argentina began to take shape. “We have to go from Plaza de Mayo to Congress, so that it is understood that our demands are political,” he said in 1992.
On July 18, 2003, César and his partner, activist, and leader of the CHA (Argentine Homosexual Community) Marcelo Suntheim became the first LGBT+ couple to enter into a civil union in Latin America and the Caribbean. This set a precedent on the path toward marriage equality.
Yesterday afternoon, when César did not respond to messages, Pedro and Marcelo approached him and the news was revealed.
Farewells
In their farewell tweet, CHA expressed the feelings of so many: “We renew our commitment to continue the invaluable legacy he represents for our movement, our LGBTTI community, and democracy in Argentina. You left in peace and with all our love. Farewell, friend and comrade.”
César's activism transcended national borders, and his voice reached many countries. As a speaker and participant in international gatherings, he presented in Mexico, Cuba, Switzerland, Korea, and the United States, among others. The CHA is also a member of ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) and other international organizations. Recently asked about Argentina's role as a pioneering country in securing rights, he said: “Being the first made it happen in other places, and it will continue to happen. It's just a matter of time.”
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