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Roberto Popoca, a psychologist, was the victim of a homophobic attack on the night of September 10th on a street in Naucalpan, a municipality in the State of Mexico. His main aggressor was a neighbor who hit him on the head while shouting homophobic slurs. Roberto filed a police report, which confirmed the aggravating circumstance of homophobia in the crime of discrimination, and he was granted protective measures.

“I was walking down the street and it was very surprising and sudden when a neighbor punched me in the face. It all happened so fast, and while he was hitting me he was yelling 'faggot' and 'queer' at me. My nose started bleeding, I turned around and yelled insults at him, but I saw that he was with other people who didn't do anything to stop him either, and well, I got scared and ran home,” Roberto recounts in an interview with Presentes. 

So far in 2022, 58 incidents of violence against LGBT people have been reported in the State of Mexico. The organization Visible maintains a national registry of violence against LGBTI+ people. 

Roberto has received support from his family and friends, and an activist reached out to offer him assistance. LGBT groups in the State of Mexico have not commented on the incident.

"After the shock came courage"

Roberto describes arriving home in shock after the attack, and how his family was frightened to see him with blood on his face. “After the shock came the anger, and I went outside with my whole family, but this guy cowardly went back into his house. In my anger, I yelled obscenities at him, I yelled at him to come out, that he was a coward.” 

That same night Roberto went to the Public Prosecutor's Office to report the homophobic attack he experienced, where an investigation file was opened for the crime of discrimination, taking homophobia into account as an aggravating factor.

"It was an act of homophobia."

“When I arrived, I handled it for what it was, an act of homophobia because this guy attacked me directly and forcefully for that reason, and fortunately a young man who assisted me at the Public Prosecutor's Office directed me to the Specialized Agency for Family, Sexual and Gender Violence since what I experienced was considered an act of discrimination due to homophobia as an aggravating factor,” explains Roberto Popoca. 

At the time of our communication, Roberto's physical injuries have almost healed, however, the psychological ones remain because he says "I am still afraid". 

Roberto says this is the first time he has been physically attacked for being openly gay. However, there is a previous incident with the same man who assaulted him, involving “disapproving looks, rejection, mockery, and veiled insults.” 

“Being part of the dissident movement in Naucalpan and not being targeted for it can be very paradoxical because in one part of the neighborhood you might feel safe, but a few blocks further on you might not. Where I live, a gay man and a trans woman left because of the violence. A few streets away I feel safe and I have trans friends who are very respected there, but one of them also tells me, 'I earned respect over the years,'” he adds.

Security measures

The public prosecutor who opened the investigation file on the homophobic attack that Roberto experienced determined security measures for him and his family lasting two months.

Furthermore, the Specialized Agency assigned him a legal advisor to follow up on his complaint. Roberto says he was treated kindly at all times, but he also believes it was "just luck." 

“Filing the report was a long and tedious process, but I think if it weren't for the guy who referred me, nothing would have happened. I also came with information, and I think that's part of how they treat you. The officer was very empathetic, and thanks to that, I feel that homophobia was taken into account as part of the attack, but I do think it was luck because otherwise, I feel like it would have just been considered a fight between men in the street.”

He adds, “I hope that attention continues, I hope it’s not just a passing thing, and the fact that they treated me this way doesn’t mean I fully trust them, but I do believe that reporting it is also a way to pressure them to do their job,” says Roberto.

“Complaints are scarce”

Presentes contacted the Specialized Agency of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Naucalpan, where an official stated that complaints of LGBT+ hate in Naucalpan "are scarce". 

For Fuera del Clóset, an association in the State of Mexico that provides support to LGBT+ people who experience violence, the figures for complaints and attacks "do not reflect the full picture of the different problems experienced by people in the LGBTTTI+ population in the State of Mexico."

In their 2021 report, they add that, “most cases of discrimination and violence go unreported or remain invisible, due to multiple factors. These include distrust of the authorities, homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in society, fear of rejection, a lack of resources for victims to know where to turn, apathy, and the absence of support networks.”

Roberto knew what to do and where to go to report it. He also had the support of his family and friends, and a lawyer friend advised him throughout the process. However, the Mexican government does not produce ongoing information campaigns for the LGBTI+ community about what to do and where to go if they are victims of discrimination or violence. 

Roberto tells Presentes that he decided to speak out on social media and report the incident to the authorities because he believes it's important "to break free from this fantasy that having a series of rights or laws in favor of sexual dissent or diversity means this no longer happens, but it continues to happen. All aggressors want and expect victims to remain silent; that's how their system of violence works, and that perpetuates the violence. That's why I decided to speak out, to make it visible and public." 

Where to report an LGBTI hate attack in Edomex?

If you have experienced violence and need support, you can contact Fuera del Clóset by writing to this email: radiofueradelcloset@gmail.com

Additionally, you can file reports about discrimination and violence through Visible, a platform that protects your identity.

The public official from the Public Prosecutor's Office interviewed by Presentes commented that the fourteen Specialized Agencies on Family, Sexual and Gender Violence in the State of Mexico "are where people of sexual diversity in the State of Mexico can go to report acts of discrimination." 

In addition to going directly to the agencies, complaints can be filed through these means:

• Free call center: 01 800 70 28 770
• Report online (at this link)
• “FGJEdomex” mobile application 
• Email: cerotolerancia@edomex.gob.mx