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In three days there were two trans femicides in Mexico. Luna Flores, a 30-year-old trans woman and sex worker, was murdered in the early hours of September 25 in Iguala, Guerrero.

On September 29, Isabella Álvarez was found dead in the city of León, Guanajuato. Her body showed signs of violence. Trans and diverse women's organizations are demanding investigations with a gender perspective and that media outlets report from a human rights perspective. 

Guerrero and Guanajuato are two Mexican states that still do not have laws guaranteeing the human rights of LGBTI+ people. 

of the Guerrero Penal Code addresses "homicide based on sexual orientation," which takes into account the victim's gender identity. In contrast, the Guanajuato Penal Code does not address hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

In addition to the resistance that the legislative branch has maintained for years to guaranteeing the human rights of LGBTI+ people, activists have difficulty protesting and demanding justice due to the context of widespread violence in both states.

The transfeminicides of Luna and Isabella add to those of Susana Villarreal in Durango and Teresa Montaño in Colima. All occurred during the month of September.

In Iguala, Luna was murdered and found outside a bar

In the early morning hours of September 25th in the city of Iguala, in northern Guerrero, 30-year-old Luna Flores was found outside a bar located on José María Morelos Street. According to local press reports, Luna had been stabbed in the chest, neck, and face. Outside the bar, Luna called the emergency number.

"The seriously injured person asked for help from paramedics, but upon arrival they confirmed that he no longer had vital signs," reported Quadratin Guerrero.

Most of the local media outlets that reported the incident did so without respecting Luna's gender identity and also disseminated revictimizing images. 

Activist Obed Benitez, who heads the organization Trans Vive en Iguala, told Presentes that according to testimonies, Luna “had a fight inside the bar where she worked as a sex worker.”

“There’s a modus operandi in bars in the northern region (of Guerrero) where, when someone is killed inside the bars, they take the body out and leave it in the street. I was told that the fight started between her and two men. It’s been said that one of the men was her partner, but I don’t know that for sure,” Benítez added.

One person has been arrested

In communication with Presentes, the Guerrero Prosecutor's Office reported that an arrest warrant against Tomás 'N' has already been executed and that a judge of Control and Criminal Trial ordered his indictment and as a precautionary order, preventive detention was ordered.

They clarified that “the investigation will determine whether the aggravating circumstance of sexual orientation applies.” They detailed that “the arrest was made following statements from eyewitnesses, and the detainee is linked to the victim as her romantic partner.” 

Before this arrest , during our conversation, activist Obed Benítez maintained that "most likely he will go unpunished, like all the others."

“The prosecutor’s office here is extremely homophobic and transphobic. Far from feeling protected by them or feeling that they are allies, they are not. They are not allies of cis women or trans women,” she says. 

In the northern region of Guerrero alone, the organization Trans Vive recorded seven transfemicides in 2021. Luna's is the first one recorded this year. 

“The context for us is cruel”

Obed added that the context of exclusion and violence against trans women in the northern region of Guerrero is high. 

“We experience a lot of violence in all areas. Machismo is deeply rooted in Guerrero, gender-based violence in the state is high, and as trans women, we also experience vulnerability. Most of my colleagues don't have a degree; according to our organization's records, the highest level of education is secondary school, and for that reason, many are self-employed or work as sex workers on the streets or in bars. The context for us is cruel, and it worsens because the state still doesn't recognize our identity,” explains Obed Benítez.

According to data from Letra Ese, between 2015 and 2021, 50 hate crimes were committed against LGBT people in Guerrero, 30 of which were against trans women.

Widespread violence makes it impossible to seek justice in Guerrero

In 2021, Guanajuato and Guerrero were classified as “less peaceful” states in the 2022 Mexico Peace Index , prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace. In this context, activist demands for justice become more complex.

“Going out, marching, demanding justice in the context of the northern region, and particularly in Iguala, is complicated because of the context of organized crime. We've tried, but we've realized that if we do it, we could be next. If we do it for this girl (Luna Flores), we run risks because the bars in the area are controlled by organized crime and protected by these groups,” Benítez warns in an interview.

In León: Isabella was found dead with signs of violence 

Isabella Alvarez worked at a parcel delivery company and collaborated with the organization Comunidad Chicas BiLess de León, a collective that works in defense of the human rights of diverse women. 

Local press reports on the incident are inconsistent. Presentes was unable to confirm any of the versions circulating, but they all agree that family members and coworkers lost contact with Isabella on Tuesday, September 27. After failing to reach her, they decided to go to her apartment.

“When they entered, they found her with signs of violence. It is presumed that she tried to defend herself against her attacker, whose identity is unknown. The first reports were received by 911 around 2:00 p.m. yesterday (September 29). Paramedics' presence was limited to confirming the victim's death,” several local media outlets reported.

According to Letra Ese, at least 21 transfeminicides have been recorded in Guanajuato from 2015 to 2021.

They demand justice, rights, and the classification of hate crimes in Guanajuato 

The LGBTQ+ Community of León issued a statement addressed to the governor of the state of Guanajuato, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, and the Attorney General's Office, demanding that hate crimes be classified as crimes, that legislation be passed in favor of the human rights of LGBTQ+ people, and that investigations be conducted with a human rights perspective.

“The transphobia and misogyny we experience in Guanajuato must end, and it is the responsibility of the State to undertake affirmative and preventive actions to guarantee that all types of discrimination stop,” they say. 

Specifically, they demand: due process to ensure Isabella and her family have access to justice; effective, adequate, and expeditious mechanisms to guarantee that trans, lesbian, and bisexual women can live free from violence and be alive; and that Isabella Álvarez not be revictimized.

So far, the Prosecutor's Office has not reported on this crime.

Furthermore, several news reports covered the event without a human rights perspective, so the León BiLess Girls Community demanded that the media "carefully use language to avoid revictimizing people, use appropriate pronouns, and avoid expressions that reinforce discrimination."

“We honor your life and your courage, dear Isabella. We are forever grateful for your collaboration. You will have justice. For you, for all of us, we continue the fight. Rest in power,” the statement concludes.