La Hermandad es Primero

by Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network · Published May 11, 2020 · Updated September 1, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has created much suffering around the world, but has also created opportunities for solidarity. Today we – trans women from El Salvador – come to share about the painful situation our community is experiencing right now and to ask for your support.

La Hermandad es Primero campaign

Trans Asylum Seeker Support Network

I, Naty, am a trans woman seeking asylum in the United States. Right now I live in western Massachusetts, but I was born and raised in El Salvador. I, Aislinn Odaly’s, am a trans activist based in San Salvador. I have dedicated myself to fighting for the well-being of my community in a violent and discriminatory society for 21 years. Together, we have deep roots in LGBTQI+ communities. We are very aware of the needs of the trans community, which has been one of the most vulnerable communities in the country for many years, even before this pandemic.

Unfortunately, our country of El Salvador is known to be a violent and dangerous place for LGBTQI+ people. Our siblings are abused, violated, and killed and their cases remain un-investigated and without justice.

Trans women in particular face brutal injustices that prevent them from having a safe and dignified life.

Now the virus and subsequent government and local restrictions “targeting” COVID-19 disproportionately affect our community. They have disrupted our possibilities of supporting ourselves and our loved ones, producing even more isolation during these difficult times. Many people do not even have the resources to buy food or medicine, and are being evicted for not being able to pay rent.

For this reason, we are launching La Hermandad es Primero campaign to raise funds for our LGBTQI+ comrades. Together, we have relationships with LGBTQI+ individuals and families. The funds raised will go directly to them for food and personal services. We invite you to participate.

LGBTQI+ Life in El Salvador

Aislinn Odaly’s in El Salvador

Our community in El Salvador faces many forms of violence. The government and religious institutions of the Salvadoran society promote a lot of hatred towards LGBTQI+ people. Children or young people suspected of being LGBTQI+ are often kicked out of school, terminating their education. Because of these influences, even our families reject us, forcing us to find support in each other. It is in the midst of these many challenges that our community has emerged.

In this context, trans women suffer more because our identities are more visible, making us more vulnerable to discrimination. As trans women, we are living at the mercy of God. We cannot walk freely; we have no security. We remain alert to what may happen, looking everywhere. They throw things at us, they beat and mistreat us.

La Hermandad es Primero campaign in El Salvador

The police participate in these assaults. I [Odaly's] was arrested for resisting the authorities. They took me to detention and made fun of me. They threatened me, saying they were going to throw me in with the gang members. But I was strong, I knew my rights, and in the end they left me in a cell alone. During all this time they discriminated against me, saying that I disgusted them.

The police also kill. In 2019, while I [Naty] was in detention, Camila, a trans woman, was deported from the United States. The next day, the Salvadoran police seized her, took her to an isolated place, and killed her. Her murderers still go unpunished without any sentence. There are many cases like this, and for this reason many trans people flee the country.

As a result of this situation, many of the trans women who remain in the country turn to prostitution as the only option to survive. This is the experience we live as trans people in El Salvador.

The Pandemic in the Trans Community

Messages sent from people in El Salvador

The systematic abuse of LGBTQI+ people in El Salvador has only been exacerbated given the conditions of the global pandemic. In response to COVID-19, the President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele announced a nationwide mandatory quarantine on March 21, with exceptions for essential workers, and only allowing one person per family to go out to buy food or medicine. These measures have served as an opportunity to worsen the treatment of the LGBTQI+ community, especially trans women.

Messages sent from people in El Salvador

From our experiences, although there are some groups that provide help, it is conditional and does not reach LGBTQI+ communities. Government officials are selective about the accessibility of their resources, excluding those who do not support them politically. NGOs follow that form, giving their support (money) to their friends. They take the money and it never reaches the people who really need the most help. Here, money is worth more than a trans woman’s life.

La Hermandad es Primero campaign

Messages sent from people in El Salvador

Churches function in a similar way, often prioritizing exclusively their members and those who meet their strict standards. Churches are abusive to our community. The priests call us abominations, disgust, and tell us that God does not want us. Upon seeing an obviously trans person, they have grabbed us, and have told us that we are going to burn because we were going to hell. The LGBTQI+ community often does not receive support from their own families, let alone from the government or churches. I [Odaly's] believe in God, and understand that if you remove a person's sex, what remains is humanity; because we are all people.

Right now, they really are not helping the population. People are locked up. People who supported themselves from sex work cannot go out to work to support themselves and their families. In one case, a trans woman took to the streets to work and was detained. Now she has been locked up for more than 20 days. In detention centers, trans women face more discrimination, including sexual abuse.

Under these conditions, support for LGBTQI+ people often falls to other members of the community. For a long time, we trans women have been leaders in the fight for our community. Comp@s living in the United States often try to help their home communities as much as they can, knowing the needs in that country. If we don't, no one will. This is where you come in.

La Hermandad es Primero Campaign

La Hermandad es Primero campaign

Everyone feels the weight and fear of this time, and our LGBTQI+ communities more than ever. For this reason, we are announcing a La Hermandad es Primero campaign, with a mission to help the LGBTQI+ community in El Salvador. We want to support the most vulnerable members of our community who cannot leave their homes, are isolated, and without food. We are raising funds that will go directly to LGBTQI+ individuals and families to support themselves while they are in quarantine.

La Hermandad es Primero campaign

As an activist affiliated with an organization, I [Odaly's] can move more freely right now, allowing me to give money directly to the people I already work with. The money raised will go towards buying food, medicine (like for diabetes, HIV/AIDS), transportation to medical appointments, personal items (like toothpaste, toilet paper, razors, soap, and shampoo), and paying the rent, water, and other utilities (electricity).

In western Massachusetts, I (Naty) am part of the Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network (TASSN). TASSN is a collective that helps transgender and gender queer asylum seekers cross the Mexico-US border, supporting them while they are in detention, and greeting them when they get out and supporting them once they are in western Massachusetts.

La Hermandad es Primero campaign

We are aware that in these difficult times is when we most need to continue screaming and fighting for the well-being of our community. The more wood we can put on the fire, the better. We hope to help as many comp@s as possible, and we need your help to allow this campaign to prosper. Everything helps and every dollar counts. Helping our community in the worst moments, La Hermandad Es Primero.

Thanking your help in advance for each grain you contribute. Thank you.

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