LGBT activist Esteban Paulón won a seat in Congress.
Paulón earned the votes to be a deputy representing his province, Santa Fe.
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. “Thank you for your trust! Socialism will continue to defend the province and all the rights we won in the National Congress,” Esteban Paulón wrote Sunday night after learning the election results.
Paulón belongs to the Socialist Party of Santa Fe and was elected national deputy for the "We Do for Our Country" party, which supported Juan Schiaretti in the presidential elections on Sunday, October 22. He obtained 9.23 percent of the vote. He served as Undersecretary of Sexual Diversity Policies for the province of Santa Fe from 2015 to 2019.
In our special on LGBT candidates, Paulon spoke about his proposals.
Building legislation with your own voice
Paulon told Presentes that his candidacy was a collective proposal from his colleagues.
"I've been a member of the Socialist Party for 30 years, and a candidacy is a possibility, both for holding an executive position (as I've held in the past) and for holding a legislative position. I believe I can contribute, through my activism and my vision, to a reality of greater justice and equality," he said.
“Furthermore, I believe that LGBT+ activism, in which I have been active for 20 years, represents many of the values that socialism wants to bring to the table in this campaign.”
A place in Congress
“I think representation is fundamental,” Paulón told Presentes. “Our presence in decision-making places enriches the debate and gives visibility to the diverse groups that have been invisible for so long. Historically, others have legislated, debated, and decided for us, who have always been the ones who put their bodies on the line.”
“If progress is going to be built on our stories, suffering, and pain, it's only fair that we be able to participate on our own.”
Fight hate
We asked all the candidates how hate could be eradicated from politics.
““We fight it with projects,” Paulón responded. “With legislative tools and by highlighting the impact it has on everyday life.”
“One of the problems is that as a society we underestimate the impact of hate, especially hate that comes from people or figures in public office.”
“Hate must also be fought head-on, by giving it a name. Not with a naive attitude, but with firmness and determination. History has shown what happens when we fail to act in the face of hatred.”
What to do about smear and misinformation campaigns targeting LGBT people
"It's important not to let any of these campaigns go unpunished. Activism also means taking an educational approach to informing (based on evidence) and preventing the spread of hateful messages that reinforce stigma and discrimination."
"We need to have a public debate and discuss ideas. I don't think the solution to these messages is to cancel them. That ends up being counterproductive because it prevents us from occupying the spaces and giving visibility to our message, from convincing."
The recently elected representative also spoke about the tools to ensure we maintain our rights. “We have two key tools: organization and mobilization. Stay active. As Pedro Zerolo said, rights are won, enjoyed, and defended.”
And he added: "On the other hand, we must make visible the candidates' commitments to human rights, feminism, and dissidents, and mobilize votes in that direction. We must prevent anti-rights figures from entering the government and the legislature by all means."
Paulón's first project
In our special, Representative Paulón announced that he will present the bill for a comprehensive transgender law, which is already in parliament but needs a boost.
"We must push for a comprehensive law that guarantees equal opportunities and rights for the transvestite and transgender community, as well as adequate compensation for the pain, suffering, and violence they've experienced. I'm also interested in promoting a law related to ESI (Educational Education) and another on specific tools for job inclusion in the private sector for dissidents."
LGBT candidates special here .
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