Name: Tom Mascolo

Identity: Trans man

Candidacy: Legislator for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

Political party: Socialist Workers' Party (PTS)

List: List 1A - Left Front Unity

Position on the list: Fourth

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

Because we are the only force that prioritizes health, education, and housing and opposes IMF payments. We fight for the effective implementation of the trans job quota and for a fair distribution of working hours so that everyone can work: six hours, five days a week. And because it is essential that our voices be heard.

When did you decide to run for office and why?

I am the first transmasculine candidate; I have been a candidate since 2016. My comrades and I made this decision to fight for the working class. Because it is essential that comprehensive sex education be effectively and comprehensively implemented at all educational levels, and that we continue to demand the separation of church and state.

How do you think hatred can be combated through politics?

I believe that hatred and violence are inherent in this capitalist system that exploits our bodies and makes us precarious. It's necessary to organize in every place of study, every workplace, in your neighborhood, to build up the left, which is the only force that prioritizes the needs of working people. From Massa and Grabois to Larreta and Bullrich, they propose a co-government with the IMF; we propose a way out.

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

While we have an average life expectancy of 35 years, I believe this misinformation stems from the hatred preached by the Church, false libertarians like Milei, or anti-rights figures like Manzur. In our particular case, from the Left Front, we have submitted proposals for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), but they are always shelved; they never get addressed. And we know that a law won't end patriarchy, nor will a presidential decree, but if these issues were addressed, many situations could be alleviated.

How do we prevent a decline in rights?

The ongoing devaluation only promises more inflation and a loss of purchasing power for the working majority. That's why the fight for the implementation of a trans employment quota, ensuring full labor rights and a salary that exceeds the basic family food basket, goes hand in hand with confronting the IMF-imposed austerity measures already being implemented by the Frente de Todos (FdT), which right-wing opposition groups like Juntos por el Cambio and Milei only promise to intensify. It is necessary to organize and fight back.

What is the first project you are going to present?

I am supporting Jorge Adaro, the mayoral candidate, and Myriam Bregman and Nicolás del Caño, the presidential candidates for the PTS within the FIT. Together with Andrea D'Atri, the legislative candidate and founder of Pan y Rosas, we are presenting an emergency bill to address the needs of victims of gender-based violence. This bill proposes the construction of shelters, paid leave, and subsidies for unemployed women experiencing violence.

Recommendation

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

"My Life" by Leon Trotsky