The 9th March against transvesticide and transfemicide was held in a circle and with strong demands for justice.

The Ninth Plurinational and Anti-Racist March "Enough of Transvesticides, Transfemicides and Transhomicides" was held in a circle around the Plaza de los Dos Congresos in homage to the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and to prevent police repression.

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With a march in Plaza de los Dos Congresos, hundreds of people yesterday paid tribute to the trans and travesti victims of violence and to the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo at the Ninth Plurinational and Anti-Racist March: Stop Transvesticide, Transfemicide, and Transhomicide. Demands for justice for the transvesticides of Sofía Fernández and Zoe López , for the triple lesbicide in Barracas, and for the disappearance of Tehuel de la Torre topped the demands of the collective. To this end, they demanded public policies, rejected layoffs in the public sector, and opposed the elimination of departments that address gender-based violence.

Mabel Valdéz, sister of Sofía Fernández, went on stage and demanded the dismissal of the judge in charge of the case.

“Sofía Fernández, present! Zoe López, present! Alejandra Ironici, present! The woman from Chaco, present! Cynthia Moreira, present! Melody Barrera, present! Diana Sacayán, present! Now and forever!” shouted the approximately one thousand people during a march around the plaza in front of the National Congress. The memory of Mothers Norita Cortiñas and Lita Boitano was also present throughout the day. 

Marching in a circle as a tribute to the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo

“We marched in a circle this year to honor the struggle of the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. And to say that there are 30,400 disappeared comrades. Our rights are also human rights,” activist Say Sacayan told Presentes . Every Thursday since the last military dictatorship, a march has been held to keep alive the memory of those disappeared during the state terrorism. The first of these marches took place on April 30, 1977, in the midst of the dictatorship, to demand answers about the whereabouts of their disappeared relatives.

Furthermore, this form of resistance transcended the boundaries of the struggle. “We are reinterpreting the strategies that trans women used when they were arrested under police edicts. Trans women would surround the police stations. Today, we are returning to that: forming a circle so they stop killing us,” trans activist Alma Fernández told Presentes.

Between Pride and state layoffs

June 28th, International LGBT Pride Day, was also marked by the dismissal of transgender and transvestite people, as well as others in positions of authority and departments within the public administration dedicated to guaranteeing the rights of the LGBT+ community. As of yesterday, over 100 transgender and transvestite workers had been dismissed . However, around 6 PM, notifications of further dismissals within the government began to arrive. In the former Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity alone, 80% of the remaining staff were laid off , following the 652 dismissals this year.

The trans activist Florencia Guimaraes

Among the closed departments and areas are the Comprehensive Approach to Cases of Femicide, Transvesticide, Transfemicide and Crimes against Sexual Integrity, which operated within the Ministry of Justice, the Gender Directorate of the Ministry of Health and the Undersecretariat of Protection against Gender Violence (former Ministry).

Transvestite activist Alma Fernández

Following the unprecedented deployment of police officers at the 2nd Plurinational March for a Historical Reparation Law on April 24th - who carried long guns and did not allow marching on the street - this gathering was held inside the plaza to guarantee the safety of the protesters.

Around 4 p.m., activists and self-organized groups began arriving at the Plaza with diversity flags and signs: “There is no pride with hate speech that kills,” “Milei’s government is paving the way for fascists! It was lesbicide!”, among others. 

Activist Manu Mireles, academic secretary of the Mocha Celis organization

The calls for justice

One of the main demands was for justice for the murder of Sofía Fernández on April 10, 2023, at the Fifth Police Station in Derqui, Buenos Aires Province. The 39-year-old woman died in a cell. According to the autopsy, she died from airway obstruction, and her body showed signs of beatings and torture.

Earlier this month, nine of the ten Buenos Aires police officers arrested on May 1st for Sofía's murder were released . The only one still in custody is Assistant Officer Carlos Rodríguez.

Colleagues from the Hotel Gondolín organization demand justice for Zoe López García

“Judge Walter Federico Saettone is dismissing the torture Sofía suffered. I want to ask for justice on behalf of my sister,” said Mabel, Sofía Fernández’s sister, on stage, her voice breaking. Information about the case is being published on social media Justice for Sofi Fernández .

's colleagues , the president of the Hotel Gondolín who was murdered by her partner in November 2023, dedicated two texts to her, which were read from the stage. “I think of an image: the empanadas on Sundays, made one by one with a unique dedication, unique like you. Zoe, the aunt, the friend, the sister, the activist, the comrade, accomplice in a thousand battles,” her friends read, and concluded: “Zoe was and will continue to be a comrade in the struggle. No more trans murders, no more Zoes.”

Throughout the day, the chant “What’s happening, can’t you see it? We’re not all here because Tehuel is still missing” echoed through the plaza. In the document, they requested that the trial for his disappearance begin in July, as agreed and scheduled. Weeks before the oral trial is set to begin on July 15, the Oral Criminal Court (TOC) No. 2 of La Plata accepted the request from the defense of one of the accused. The decision means the family must endure two trials: one against Oscar Montes and another against Luis Alberto Ramos. One will begin on July 15, where Ramos’s responsibility will be judged. The other, against Montes, has no date set and no court has been assigned.

Finally, following the memorial service held this Wednesday at Chacarita Cemetery for Pamela Cobbas, Roxana Mercedes Figueroa, and Andrea Amarante, victims of the triple lesbian murder in Barracas, the document called for justice for them. It emphasized that this was a “lesbicide,” that is, a hate crime perpetrated because of the women's sexual orientation as lesbians. Furthermore, it demanded reparations for Sofía Castro Riglos, the sole survivor of the massacre.

Coverage: Lucas Gutiérrez, Agustina Ramos, María Eugenia Ludueña and Ana Fornaro

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