Diana Sacayán, 39, a longtime activist for trans and LGBQ issues, was found murdered in her apartment in Buenos Aires yesterday. DK readers probably will not be familiar with her and her accomplishments but she was well known and respected in Argentina.
At the time of her death, Diana was serving as the secretary of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). Previously, she had held posts in both governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations that worked on behalf of human rights, civil rights, and consumer rights.
Diana came a long way from her impoverished childhood in one of the poor suburbs of Buenos Aires. Like many trans women of the era, she suffered discrimination, hostility and mistreatment by authorities and social contacts. She ended up working as a prostitute for years, a common fate for trans women who were denied employment opportunities.
From there, she rose to activism, speaking out on behalf of her trans sisters and bringing public attention to the difficulties they faced. It was a time when Argentina was transforming itself, becoming a leader in social issues not just in South America but in the entire world (Argentina legalized gay marriage in 2010 and had provided many benefits by recognizing domestic partnerships years earlier). With political leaders committed to social justice and equality, Diana was given the opportunity to make a real difference.
Keep reading below the orange memorial.
She was appointed to the office of the Defensor del Publico (Public Defender) of La Matanza, one of the largest and poorest suburbs of Buenos Aires. Although it sounds like our public defender position, in Argentina the public defender represents people who have complaints against the municipal government for acting in ways that deny their rights.
From there, she moved to working for INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism), an agency of the federal government. Its mandate now is broader than its original title, so it gave Diana a platform to fight violence and discrimination against women, trans people, and LGBQ folk. It also boosted her public profile, making her a resource for journalists who wanted to explore these issues in the media.
Both through her professional work as well as her volunteer work in various human/trans/LGBQ rights groups, Diana was an important figure in the success of passing Argentina's groundbreaking Ley de Identidad de Genero (Gender Identity Law) in 2012. Although a few European countries had already passed laws making it easier for trans folk to acquire legal documents reflecting their gender, Argentina just downright opened the barn door wide. The law permits anyone to self-certify his or her gender, with no requirement for medical and psych evaluations, and the government will comply by issuing new documentation. Moreover, since Argentina has national public healthcare, the government will fully pay for hormones, gender reassignment surgery and similar medical services requested by trans people.
In the video below, posted to Youtube by the Casa Rosada (the Argentine equivalent of the White House), we see President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner presenting new gender-aligned documents (DNI or national identity card) to a number of trans people, many of them activists in the efforts to pass the law. Diana is shown with President Kirchner at approximately 4:44. You can see the two women laughing over something, clearly enjoying their moment together.
Her most recent accomplishment was getting the province of Buenos Aires to set aside 1% of provincial government jobs for trans people, to give them a leg up and avoid the hardships which she had suffered earlier in her life.
So far, you may have noticed that I have said little about the homicide. There are two reasons for that. First, little is known at this point. Her apartment door was broken from the inside, indicating that the assailant was someone Diana had let in to the apartment but who could not find the key to get out after she had locked the door.
The press and and public are, of course, speculating and theorizing. At this point, no one knows if this was a "simple" homicide for the usual personal reasons (anger, jealousy and so on) or if it was in any way connected to her activist work. The one thing the police have ruled out so far is simple robbery as valuables were left untouched in the apartment.
There are no suspects yet but police and federal prosecutors are investigating and taking the matter very seriously. Argentina still has social problems but Cristina's government has made matters like trans murders, domestic violence and assaults against women high priorities for law enforcement.
Second, although I never met Diana, from what I know of her via her public persona, she would want the focus to be on her accomplishments both personal and for the greater benefit of trans people and others who have faced discrimination in life. While we mourn her loss, we must remember all of the good things she achieved, transforming herself into a powerful influence and transforming her nation into a better society.