Worldwide Reports
MEXICO
KILLINGS
Chiapas is the Mexican State close to the border with Guatamala where right and left-wing groups from both countries have been fighting it out. For the travesti in this area there has been injustice and murder since 1990. In 1994 Amnesty Internatio nal misleadingly reported "killings of gay men" when in fact, all the deaths were of travesti. Between June 1991 and February 1993, eleven in all where murdered.
Serious procedural and administrative irregularities marked the investigations Three suspects known by the travesti to be totally innocent, were imprisoned and tortured, notably by applying hot chilli pepper to the tender parts of the body (such as eyes, mouth and nostrils) and suffocation with wet towels.
Vanessa, a beautiful young travesti, formed a local organisation to investigate and raise protest. She went to the families of the victimised men and made statements that they were innocent and being used as scapegoats. She also campaigned locally and raised the first pride march there. All the sisters took to the street with banners and were joined over the day by ordinary people who had there own god reasons to protest against the local government administration at that time.
TS ACTIVIST SHOT AND POLICE COVER-UP
Then Vanessa herself was found murdered on the pavement one night and photographed from every angle. It was clear she had been shot from a car at close range. but police photographs taken long after her body was removed and using a stand-in tried t o show another story. The blatantly false and very weak case of the authority is contested by no shortage of clear proven documentation taken by the girls but the case has fallen into default . The governor has gone into exile, officers and bureaucrats demoted, promoted or transferred. A cover-up has continued and a new public prosecutor has had no progress with the case.
A television film made by Amnesty International and the gay man Jose Covarubias, whom initially reported the situation, suggested that it all began when the travesti cabaret night-clubs were closed by raids in 1990, forcing the girls out into prost itution on the streets, but that alone was not to blame. A rumour spread of a video of travesti girls and high officials enjoying each other at a private party but there is no evidence of this.
The travesti group continues to meet each Sunday at the house of Vanessa's mother. Vanessa has become an icon and they carry her portrait when they march each year (The local people no longer join in as they have got what they wanted the removal of the local governor).
PROTECTION MONEY
Information now coming to the IGTA suggests that the new travesti leader, Corina, is controlling and exploiting the girls, demanding protection money to pay off police bribes. The girls. in turn, have to steal from their clients to pay and are thus identified as a group of prostitute-thieves. The ones that dare to rebel are kept away from working areas and beaten with chains. Also, its suggested that Corina made death threats to Vanessa on the night she was murdered and she is thought to be workin g both for the TVs and the authorities. Apparently a similar situation exists in Mexico City.
CONTACT AND SUPPORT
However, all this information come from gay men who are working with the sisters, not from persons working from within the community. From experiences in other countries IGTA has found it does demand a TG to see what is factual in a situation as th ere often can be much bitch-fighting and empty threats brought about by the hazards and pressures on such an isolated community. IGTA has found that contact with other countries tends to instantly bring confidence to a community and bring about changes. This has been seen in Greece, where they were isolated for a long time and in Turkey where the situation never got out of hand because the IGTA got there in time to open contact and relay news.
IGTA advocates and requests of all TV/TS groups a concerted effort to establish contact wit our Mexican sisters and help them with support and advice.
Report from Phaedra Kelly
For more information on Mexico
or about the work of the IGTA
please email Suzanne Gallagher
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