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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Activists and relatives of transvestite and transgender teenagers held a demonstration yesterday to ask Congress to reject this Wednesday the emergency decrees (DNU 61 and 62/25) issued by Javier Milei that limit the Gender Identity Law. 

Through collaborative efforts with all four political blocs, activists successfully secured the inclusion of Decree 62 on the agenda for Wednesday's session. The Chamber of Deputies will address it in a marathon session. A massive mobilization is expected, as the third Federal University March will also take place in protest against Milei's veto. Among other topics, legislators will discuss the President's vetoes of the Pediatric Emergency and University Funding laws. 

The action, organized by the Pride and Struggle Front and the Pride March Organizing Committee – Historical Line, unfurled a huge banner reading “I Reject Decree 62/25” on the facade of the National Congress, along with signs denouncing the decree: “Your Decree affects my health.” People on motorcycles, buses, and cars supported the initiative and honked their horns in support. 

“We succeeded in getting the Emergency Decrees (DNU) included on the agenda. We are here to celebrate this first step and to call for a mobilization on Wednesday, September 17, to demand the rejection of these decrees,” shared Martín Canevaro, from 100% Diversity and Rights and the Pride and Struggle Front. 

What changed by decree

Following the massive Federal March of Antifascist and Antiracist Prideon February 6, the national government published Decrees 61 and 62/25 in the Official Gazette. The decree modified Article 11 of Law No. 26,743, which expresses the right to free personal development, and replaced it with a text prohibiting gender-affirming treatments for individuals under 18 years of age. "Individuals under the age of eighteen (18) may not access the interventions and treatments referred to in this article," states one of its paragraphs.

Before Milei's decree, Article 11 stipulated that for minors seeking treatment, "the principles and requirements established in Article 5 for obtaining informed consent" applied. This meant that consent had to be obtained "through their legal representatives and with the express consent of the minor, taking into account the principles of evolving capacities and the best interests of the child, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Law 26.061 on the comprehensive protection of the rights of children and adolescents." Furthermore, interventions "also required the approval of the competent judicial authority in each jurisdiction."

According to various lawyers and constitutional experts, the decree "violates the basic rules of the legal system" and "is null and void" because "it does not comply with the requirements established by the Argentine Constitution."

“He saved our lives”: against Milei’s decree

Verónica, Natalia, and Andrea are women over 50 and mothers of transgender teenagers. They are members of the Munay Group and yesterday were with several other families. “Our daughter, from the age of three, began to express her discomfort with the gender assigned to her at birth. I was a deeply binary and heteronormative mother, and from that moment I began to understand what was happening with her. We understood that we needed to be out in the streets, to fight,” recalled Verónica, the mother of a 14-year-old, in an interview with Presentes. 

They met Natalia so their daughters, both trans, could share the game and the experience. Then they took to the streets. “Children’s rights are being trampled. They are criminalizing us, prohibiting our teenagers from starting or continuing treatment,” Natalia shared.

As families committed to their children's well-being, they researched and supported their progress. “He told me he didn't want to live anymore,” recalled Andrea, a 52-year-old woman and mother of a 16-year-old. “I'm an older woman, from another generation, but I started, and we started researching. We were lucky enough to find the right people and impeccable healthcare teams. They offered us hormone therapy, with checkups every three months. He had to go through several steps and tests before starting. Fortunately, he was able to begin because starting hormone therapy saved my son's life. It's not invasive at all; it's progressive, and you see the changes little by little. They gain confidence in themselves. Today he's a studious, happy boy.”.

Andre explains that, following the decree, at the Pacheco Hospital where his son is treated, “they told us in a meeting that the treatments would end. They're encouraging you to go illegal. To buy the medication anywhere, without any oversight.”. 

National Deputy Mónica Macha, from the Union for the Homeland party, was also present at yesterday's action. She indicated that Wednesday's session would be "very long" as many items would be addressed. "Our biggest challenge is uniting our struggles. Milei's advance against public policies, against the people and humanity, is happening in every area. Having achieved the rejection of the Emergency Decree on this agenda is very important. They know they can count on each and every one of us. We will be there," the deputy for the province of Buenos Aires stated.