TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Chis; (proceso.com.mx).- Around three thousand people participated this Saturday in the gay pride march in Chiapas, most of them young people, as well as mothers and fathers who accompanied their children where they chanted slogans to demand equality and respect for their right to a life free from homophobia and other acts of exclusion and discrimination. At the end of the march, the singer Marisela was crowned the queen of the gay community in Chiapas.
In what is considered the first largest march in Chiapas of the LGBTTIQ+ community, this Saturday the 10th they took out the flags with the colors of the rainbow, but now also modified and added the colors that represent lesbian women.
On this occasion it was called “Mampride 2023”, thus returning to the word “mampo” which in Chiapas is a local word to refer to gay people and which has been used in a derogatory or discriminatory manner.
José Eliecer Espnonda Cáceres, Alejandra López and Samuel Revueltas, three of the organizers of this event that began on Saturday morning with cultural, recreational and sexual health activities, pointed out that 54 years ago, a rainbow revolution began that spread to all In the corners of the world, on June 28, 1969, there was a cynical attempt to silence us, but that only caused our voices to echo to this day.
“We are here for many reasons, one of them is to speak out strongly for our rights, to insist on the many things that remain to be done to guarantee social justice and equal conditions. The following reason is to remind society that we have always been here, we are here and we will continue to be here,” they said in a statement read.
“We are lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites, trans people, intersex people, queers among other identities and gender expressions that we are sisters, friends, fathers, mothers, politicians, businessmen, doctors, singers, teachers, public servants, the person who tells you good morning, we are everywhere and in many spaces, we will not leave and we will not hide, we will continue walking for our rights and those of other generations”, they indicated.
But that they were also in this march “to dance, to laugh, to sing, to walk in stiletto heels, to go and disrupt the streets, paint them with colors, kiss, love, hug, see and recognize each other, but above all to celebrate each other. and say no, we are not ashamed of being the family boss, the block boss. We are here to shout the pride of being what we are”.
At the rally they welcomed everyone who was there for the first time, but they also reminded those who paved the way and are no longer present, “know that this story has not written itself, but has been the effort and the blood of many. For those who could not join us today due to fear of rejection, violence or discrimination from their families or society, know that we embrace you from here”.
They also remembered that it was here in Chiapas, where there is a gray history, since 32 years ago the streets of Tuxtla Gutiérrez were stained with blood. And that “by government order, a persecution began to erase our existence as lesbians, gays, trans, and bisexuals.”
They stated that between June 1991 and February 1993, a group of homosexual men and trans women were murdered in this city, crimes that to date have not been clarified, there is no historical justice or comprehensive reparation for the damage.
“Many of those surviving victims of hatred, persecution and violence are here today walking among us to show that we will never get tired of raising our voices and that we will resist until dignity, respect and love become a habit”, they indicated.
“Today we find ourselves between three public venues: the state executive, the legislative body and a human rights organization. It is time to remind you of our demands and the historical debt towards our population. Some of the following statistics illustrate the challenges, discrimination and violence that we suffer.
It was also said that homosexuality continues to be the object of persecution in 67 countries around the world, with sentences ranging from prison to the death penalty. In Central America, LGBT people continue to suffer forced displacement due to the violence they face.
And that in Chiapas, conversion therapies are not prohibited, which is why unethical families and professionals continue to torture lesbian, gay and trans people through violent processes.
They denounced that in Chiapas hate crimes continue to go unpunished and impunity for these crimes still exists, there is no clarification of the facts and access to justice, the State Attorney General’s Office does not apply the care protocols and the State Judiciary does not judge from a human rights perspective.
In addition, the lack of recognition of gender identity in our State prevents trans people from having access to other rights and greater job opportunities, the state government continues to fail to comply with recommendation 43/2021.
They mentioned that homoparental and lesbian-maternal families continue to face discrimination from the Civil Registry that refuses to register their sons and daughters. On the other hand, trans childhoods and adolescents face greater obstacles as they have few possibilities of fully accessing their rights.
It was also said at the rally that the Chiapas State Congress remains in an eternal omission to legislate in favor of the human rights of this community, and that the state government, from its permanent indifference, does not generate public policies or implement mechanisms that guarantee greater equality and the State Human Rights Commission has become a passive and phantom body that does not exercise its constitutional obligations to defend our rights.
“We are not asking for special rights to be granted, we want an end to violence, to discrimination, we want equal opportunities, we seek access to justice. We are not taking away anyone’s rights, we are only demanding the rights that we still do not have,” they concluded.
In addition to this massive gay march in Chiapas, other similar marches are planned in the coming days in the cities of Tapachula, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Comitán, Palenque, Cintalapa, Villaflores and many more to add up to 12 cities in the state.
