New Report Highlights Continuing Struggle of Transgender Latinas in Mexico Heather Cassell - Bay Area Reporter
go to original June 9, 2016

An illustration of a transgender immigrant created for Translatin@ Coalition in honor of Trans Day of Resilience. (Rommy Torrico)

Violence and discrimination against Mexican transgender women continues to rise in spite of Mexico's government granting increased rights to LGBT people, a new report finds.

Mexico follows Brazil as having the second-highest index of crimes motivated by transphobia in Latin America, according to the report. Many transgender women face blackmail, extortion, sexual assault, and more from community members, police, and members of the military, the report found. Some communities are passing so-called morality laws targeted at transgender individuals that prohibit "cross-dressing." Furthermore, many of the crimes against transgender Latinas – including prominent transgender rights activists – rarely are investigated and mostly go unsolved.

These findings were documented in a new 46-page "Report on Human Rights Conditions of Transgender Women in Mexico," published May 26, which aims to educate U.S. asylum attorneys and judges on the plight of transgender Latinas fleeing Mexico and the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity.

According to the report, Mexico's anti-discrimination law doesn't recognize gender identity, but does recognize "gender" and "sexual preference." Same-sex marriage has created a backlash with transgender Latinas taking the brunt of the community's anger, the report noted.

There have been at least 120 transphobic murders since 2010, when registered same-sex marriages in Mexico City were legally recognized throughout the country, according to the report.

These are the reasons why many transgender Latinas from Mexico flee to the United States to seek asylum. However, many of these women end up traumatized in immigration detention centers and oftentimes go through the grueling asylum process without representation, the report stated.

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