The Mocha Celis transgender high school celebrates its 10th anniversary with a new generation of graduates.
The Mocha Celis trans and non-binary high school has been operating in Buenos Aires for ten years. This year, 2021, it celebrated the end of classes with the awarding of 36 high school diplomas.
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This year, 2021, marks the eighth graduating class. With this, we now have over 200 graduates from the Mocha Celis Popular High School for Transvestite/Trans/Non-Binary People .
After a long time of isolation due to the pandemic; on November 30th, an exciting ceremony was held in person at the Carlos Gardel cultural space in the Chacarita neighborhood, with the awarding of 36 secondary level diplomas with the title of auxiliary expert in community development.
The evening, as expected, was filled with glitter and color. There were also cheeks wet with tears and the students' voices trembling with emotion as they gave speeches of gratitude to the administration and faculty.
The event was graced by several artistic performances where the second-year students offered a warm tribute to those who were saying goodbye. Personally, I can assure you that for Mocha, there are no final hugs or definitive goodbyes. In fact, this was an afternoon and evening of encounters and embraces.
The hallways of the high school
At the start of each academic year and at every graduation, I write texts to share with the students. As expected, I did the same this time, with the added honor of having me close the first part of the event.
The second part opened with a burst of energy and emotion, featuring trans singers from Unidxs por la Música. The first singer, Claudia Falcón, performed a chamamé in Spanish mixed with some Guaraní. The second, Daniela Hassan, sang Whitney Houston in English. The closing act was a performance by the talented choreographers of the Puridiversa Folklore Collective.
Throughout the day, amidst speeches, thank-yous, diplomas, and performances, one could see, even beneath the masks, the heartfelt smiles reflected in the shining eyes of the audience. These were moments that will remain etched in memory because such powerful emotions are hard to forget.
Clearly, trans people are subversive to a system that wanted us to be ignorant. We decided to defy that destiny and are on our way to university because every degree is an endless series of doors closing to a painful past, doors that reopen to a better world.
This is nothing more than transvestite ingenuity. The ability to reinvent oneself in the face of adversity. Lohana Berkins said it best: “We transvestites have spark, soul, and problem-solving skills.” She also said: “When a transvestite enters university, it changes that transvestite’s life. Many transvestites in university change the lives of society.”
Solidarity and collective construction
, the dissidents, are a militant movement eager for answers , but when there are no answers, we devise them ourselves.
If we're talking about achievements, during the pandemic there wasn't a standstill, but rather creation . La Mocha Celis was established as a civil association, which in a way gave us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves.
The Solidarity Network was created: a support and care network for students in vulnerable situations. With essential goods, we were able to address the basic needs of 1,200 fellow students. We partnered with several companies. We signed an agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas. We created the Brandon/Mocha Popular School of Gender and Diversity, a training space for LGBTI+ activists where we trained more than 100 activists nationwide. We held the first national meeting on trans/travesti education. Together with a group of lawyers and doctors, we strengthened the area of access to comprehensive healthcare rights.
Photo: Luli Leiras
Regarding education, we were able to continue our schooling virtually. We managed to keep the classes going despite not having the computers from the Sarmiento or Conectar Igualdad programs, because apparently, the idea was never even considered for adult education. We didn't just sit around waiting.
We designed booklets and ways to communicate so that no one is left out of the institutional situation. While March 2022 presents challenges we must face, due to not yet having a building in which to operate, we have the security and guarantee that we have in ourselves. Our desire and our drive to reverse a world of scourges... Even so, we are not alone.
We have a safety net and a community that won't leave us without food, without work, without a classroom to study in. These are rights that political leaders are still slow to guarantee.
Photo: Luli Leira.
The transvestite and transgender employment quota law, a great hope
Following the new transvestite and transgender employment quota law, there were consensus dialogues between civil associations and the State ; this allowed transvestite and transgender people, beyond finishing their studies, to be able to enter the workforce in some jobs.
Today, there are trans workers within the government, as well as female political officials; this latter fact allows us to contribute a trans perspective to society. Furthermore, we also have trans athletes and healthcare professionals who graduated from Mocha Celis and have successfully entered the workforce within the government, as well as in some private companies. It's worth mentioning that many have chosen to pursue their own businesses.
The demands. The dreams of an entire group that one day there will be trans civil servants, lawyers, doctors, and teachers are underway.
Now tell me, if this isn't called resistance and struggle, what is it called?
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