Name: Reina Ibáñez

Identity: Trans woman

Candidacy: President

Political party: Young Project

List: 94C Everyone

Position on the list: First

Why does a person from a diverse sexual/cultural background have to be in Congress or the Legislature?

People from diverse sexual orientations and gender identities need to hold leadership positions to represent the rights of minorities and, in turn, give visibility to the trans community in politics. Societies are changing, and it's time for the LGBTQ+ community—and especially the trans community—to have the opportunity to hold seats in government and lead executive branches. We believe it's time for society to support us so we can serve in these positions after years of activism.

When did you decide to run for office and why?

I've been running for various positions since 2015. That time, I was second on the list of pre-candidates for city council in Rosario. In 2017, I headed the list for the Rosario City Council. In 2021, I was the first transgender candidate for national deputy for the province of Santa Fe. Now I'm running for President of the Nation. I've always chosen to run to combat the inequality and exclusion experienced by all of society, not just the LGBT community.

How do you think hatred can be combated through politics?

Hate can be combated with awareness campaigns and the inclusion of more trans people to occupy ministries, legislative positions and other spaces.

Did you think of any strategies to respond to the smear campaigns and disinformation against LGBT people in the media?

We plan to issue statements as soon as a smear or disinformation campaign occurs. It's happened to me before, and we've used that mechanism. The idea is, if the attacks continue, to take legal action.

How do we prevent a decline in rights?

Basically, we don't have to vote for or support the right wing. Not the far right, nor a moderate right wing.

What is the first project you are going to present?

I want to promote a constitutional reform to include minority rights. It would be essential to achieve this guarantee to protect our acquired rights against right-wing governments that might want to eliminate them.

Recommendation

A film, song, book, or cultural experience that politically influenced you?

One song is "Todos me miran" by Gloria Trevi. And a movie that really affected me is "Las plegarias por Bobby" (Prayers for Bobby). I chose that movie because it tells the story of a gay boy who suffered a lot and committed suicide. It really affected me because it made me think about all the people who did that because their families didn't accept them. And I've always loved the song, and there's a part that says: "I put on heels and dressed like a queen." That resonates with me because it's true; we go out on the street and everyone stares at us.