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Students, transgender people, and gender-diverse individuals from various faculties of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) protested and demanded that the University take a stand against hate speech. This followed a virtual forum held on March 24th by the UNAM's Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Sciences and Humanities (CEIICH), titled "Necessary Clarifications on the Categories of Sex and Gender," in which participants, feminist women, expressed hate speech against transgender, non-binary, and intersex people. 

What happened in that forum?

The event “Necessary Clarifications on the Categories of Sex and Gender” was organized by the communication specialist Aimee Vega and its speakers were Marcela Lagarde (anthropologist), Amelila Valcárcel (philosopher), the lawyers Alda Facio and Andrea Medina, and as moderator Angélica de la Peña Gómez, former federal senator.

A week before Trans Visibility Day and for almost four hours, academics questioned the existence of trans, non-binary, and intersex people; in particular, when referring to intersex people, the Spanish Amelia Valcárcel used words like "things" and "anomalies".

They denied the feminist contributions that include trans people as well as the theoretical contributions to gender studies and feminisms made by trans people. 

They argued that the concept of 'hate speech' should not be criminalized. “We must be very careful with hate crimes, because in practice it is very difficult to prove that a hate crime actually exists (…) I prefer that hate crimes not exist, that freedom of expression exist (…) and reasonable convictions,” Valcárcel stated. 

They said there is a movement that supposedly seeks to erase cis women from all legal status and protection mechanisms, and therefore proposes to abolish the category of 'gender'.

Alda Facio called for the Belem do Pará Convention, which establishes the right of women to a life free of violence, to stop protecting trans women. 

To that end, Facio mentioned in a dehumanizing way Vicky Hernández, a trans woman murdered by the Honduran State in 2009, and criticized the unprecedented sanction imposed by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) in holding a State responsible for the murder of a trans woman for the first time. 

“The attacks were motivated by what is called gender identity and not because the perpetrators believed she was a woman,” the lawyer said. 

For her part, lawyer Andrea Medina referred to gender identity and the human right to self-determination as a “wish,” a “feeling,” and a change “without rhyme or reason.” She added, “The legal world shouldn’t get involved in that… the legal definition is completely objective; it’s measured in rights and freedoms, and there’s no room for feelings or sensitivities.” 

The day after the forum, CEIICH said in a statement that it is a space distinguished “by freedom of expression and respect for human rights” and that “the ideas expressed are the responsibility of those who participated in the debate.” 

#UNAMWithoutTransphobia

At the end of the forum, at least 743 people from the university community and outside of it signed a statement expressing concern that the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is opening a space to hate speech. 

“Spaces like this contribute to gender-based violence against trans women, trans men, non-binary people, and transvestites (…) The statements made by the participants in this forum not only deny trans experiences and identities but also represent a setback in the fight for rights for trans populations. Furthermore, their discourse excludes them from the right to bodily autonomy, the right to identity, and the right to a life free from violence.”

They also demanded that the programs, research centers, institutes and the Gender Committee of UNAM take a stand against "transphobic voices and stop giving space to discourses that dehumanize trans experiences." 

Furthermore, the hashtag #UNAMSinTransfobia began to be used on social media to denounce the hate speech made at the forum and to demand from university authorities everything from a public apology and reparations to the resignation of the forum's organizer.

Various organizations, collectives, and activists issued statements condemning the content of the forum and UNAM's position in disseminating it.  

Trans people exist

Intersex Compass , a virtual collective for the intersex community that was born in 2013, expressed a statement after the declarations made in the forum “Necessary clarifications on the categories of sex and gender”. 

“Intersexuality does exist (…) It is not a pathology or an abnormality that needs to be “corrected” (…) There are many women’s bodies and many ways of being a woman. Intersex women are also women, some intersex women are trans, and some of us are also feminists (…) There are other bodily and subjective realities different from the hegemonic ones, and accepting this does not negate other existences or jeopardize the rights achieved up to this point.” 

The statement was signed by intersex collectives from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Spain.

“Trans women are women”: Copred

On the same day as the forum, the Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (Copred) of Mexico City, a decentralized body, spoke out against hate speech.

“Excluding certain populations, specifically trans women, from the recognition of rights is not a constitutionally protected discourse because it denies rights and harms their dignity (…) Diversity builds; hate speech destroys. Trans women are women. All women must have a place within feminism.”.

In its statement, Copred makes no mention of UNAM or the forum disseminated by the university but clarifies that the organization in no case supports transphobic discourse, and describes it as "unacceptable expressions that violate the dignity of people and place them at risk because they legitimize, multiply and promote violence."

Student protest: “Get the TERFAs out of UNAM!”

On Monday, March 28, at University City, the largest complex of the UNAM, students from different faculties demonstrated against the forum, against hate speech, and demanded that the video of the forum disseminated by the CEIICH be removed. 

“We are here raising our voices because openly racist and transphobic speeches were made at the forum, speeches that threaten the identity and autonomy of trans people. It is very important to be present because enabling discourses through white feminism enables fascism that attacks trans people,” Malinalli, a sociology student, told Presentes during the protest.

The demonstration began at various points within University City, and the students initially gathered at Tower II of the Humanities building, the complex where the CEIICH offices are located. There, they read several statements, chanted slogans such as “Biology is not destiny”; “TERFs out of UNAM”; “Human rights are not up for debate,” protested by vogue dancing, and demanded the resignation of Aimeé Vega, the organizer of the forum. 

The demonstration continued to the UNAM Rector's Office building, where the doors remained closed. Outside, the students posted the signs they had brought for the protest and wrote the message, "I strongly condemn your transphobia," in marker, alluding to UNAM's response to complaints of harassment or gender-based violence perpetrated by professors or university officials. 

A third statement, signed by more than 1,100 people, was read outside the Rector's Office, and copies were given to UNAM officials who met with them in the plaza. The students demanded that the video of the forum be removed from the website, that a public apology be issued, and that UNAM take a clear and effective stance against transphobia. The officials only said they would "analyze" the document.