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A 12-year-old transgender boy was attacked in Santa Fe
A 12-year-old transgender boy was attacked by a 15-year-old at an event on the Santa Fe riverfront. The organization Trans Men is raising the alarm about hate speech.
Text: Victoria Stefano/Periódicos. Photo: Titi Nicola | CC-BY-SA-4.0
CITY OF SANTA FE, ArgentinaOn Sunday afternoon, November 8th, Santa Freak, an event that brings together young people and adults from the world of cosplay and anime and manga culture, took place on the Santa Fe riverfront A 12-year-old transgender child was violently attacked by another young person, around 15 years old, because of their gender identity, and ended up hospitalized.
According to witness accounts, The aggressor shouted transphobic insults at the top of his lungs, and the trans teenager confronted him, defending his identity. In response, the 15-year-old physically assaulted him with a body restraint hold, violently throwing him to the floor.
The attack caused him to be immediately immobilized to the point of being unable to stand up, and the event organizers had to request Emergency Services intervention to assist the victim.
The attacker, meanwhile, left the scene without further incident and was located thanks to the Santa Fe cosplay community, which publicized the incident to obtain the assailant's information, as the young people did not know each other previously. In this context, the family of the assaulted child was able to access an audio recording attributed to the aggressor mocking and claiming responsibility for the act.
The trans child who was attacked is in good condition, although in pain and unable to move and under the care of healthcare professionals at a sanatorium in the city. Further tests are being conducted to determine if there is any [condition/condition] a spinal injury product of the aggression.
The attacker's father contacted the family of the assaulted minor to apologize while justifying the attack at all times.
The mother of the boy who was attacked filed a police report on Monday, with the support of the Provincial Directorate of Diversity. The prosecutor handling the investigation is Francisco Cecchini.
Context
The attack against the trans child comes just a week after a gang of dozens of young people organized to physically assault trans women sex workers in the Palermo woods, in the city of Buenos Aires.
From the Trans Men Civil Association They made a publication highlighting the fact and pointed out that "Lately, hate speech and attacks against the LGBTIQ+ community have ceased to be isolated incidents.". They are not a coincidence: they are endorsed and legitimized from the highest political and power spheres, enabling a violence that is transferred directly to the streets, to the classrooms and to our lives.".
«Faced with institutionalized cruelty and the attempt to erase us, our response is more organization, more rights, and the repudiation of this violence by all of societyThat is why, today more than ever, we demand the full implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) with a gender and diversity perspective.
State intervention
Regarding the attack, the The provincial director of Diversity, Pamela Rocchi, expressed her "strongest condemnation of the physical aggression suffered" by the 12-year-old trans boy.
"This act of violence further underscores the urgent need to eradicate discrimination in all areas. In the current context, with hate speech enabled from the highest political levels, from the leadership..." We reaffirm our commitment to redouble our daily efforts to care for and protect the LGBT+ community, with special priority given to transgender children"We will not tolerate hatred violating the rights and integrity of children in our province," he emphasized.
He also explained that from the very beginning, "we have supported the victim and his family, and we demand a swift clarification of the facts.".
"Fear over the law"
Meanwhile, Santiago Quizamas, president of the Santa Fe Trans Men's Association, explained that «These things happen to kids all the time and nobody says anything about it«.
From his role as coordinator of that community space that brings together trans and non-binary children and adolescents, he comments that the kids They suffer this type of violence daily for expressing themselves, for manifesting their identity, for carrying something distinctive of the LGBT community in their backpack, or for their gender expression and how society interprets them.
Regarding the attack on this particular child, he noted that this time it was "extremely serious" because it happened in a place "where teenagers and young adults gather," and in particular because this boy, "for defending his identity, ended up in the hospital at 12 years old.".
Perhaps he insisted that the and Activists for sexual diversity should have some kind of intolerance towards these situations and immediately condemn them because the message these events convey transcends only one family and the attacked child. “Many times, fear overwhelms us, taking precedence over our rights. And then we are so afraid that we fail to assert our rights. And that is what I think weighs most heavily on us, those of us who do work that never rests, which is to empower children and adolescents to inhabit these places. Not that they resist everything, but that they can inhabit them freely and happily, without skipping developmental stages. But that is not enough,” she pointed out.
«I hope no one has to go through this"This kid got away with it because he was part of the organization, because his family contacted him immediately and had access to the guarantee of reporting and support. But all those who aren't in that circuit, all those on the outside who, when they read this news, go back or their families tell them, 'See what happens when you say who you are, when you want to express who you are?'" Quizamas added.
"Society is broken and we should all mount a massive response of condemnation so that future generations do not suffer the same pain that our adult peers are experiencing today."He concluded.
Condemnation from the event organizers
Meanwhile, the organizers of the event where the attack occurred told Periódicas that they "absolutely condemn any act of violence, discrimination or intolerance."
"Santa Freak is a space built on diversity, respect, and freedom of expression. Our community is made up of people with different identities, expressions, and realities, and we believe that this diversity is one of its greatest strengths," they stated.
Regarding the facts They stressed that what happened was an isolated incident "that does not represent the spirit of our fair or the values we have been promoting for years.".
"This in no way will overshadow anything that has been done so far. We deeply believe that all people have the right to share, express themselves and enjoy a space free from violence and discrimination," they insisted.
This article was originally published in Periódicas, a feminist media outlet based in Santa Fe, Argentina, and is republished through our alliance as media partners.
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