Social Issues

Mexican lesbians, trans women rally for rights in 2nd ‘Marcha Lencha’

Mexico City, June 18 (EFE).- Dozens of lesbian, bisexual, and trans women marched on the streets of Mexico City on Saturday, claiming their rights and seeking an end to discrimination against the sexual minorities.

It was the second Marcha Lencha, a widely used synonym for lesbians, in the Mexican capital to make themselves visible.

“We have been living in the shadows for a long time. We needed space for lenchas (lesbians) to be able to make ourselves visible, take to the streets to ask for our rights, which seem to be the same as those of gay men, but the truth is there are differences,” protester Mitzli said.

The protesters stressed that within the LGBT community, they wanted to distinguish themselves because the claims were different from those of the other sexual minorities.

“It is a way of making our struggle specifically visible,” said Mariana, another marcher.

Waving colored flags, the protesters walked from the Glorieta de las Mujeres que Luchan to the Parque de la Amistad de Chapultepec, claiming equality, celebrating diversity, and enjoying a “safe space.”

“The importance of these spaces is to feel secure, feel accompanied when working together without having to stand out within the LGBT community,” Mitzli said.

“The most important thing is safety on the street, if you go out with your partner, be sure that verbal or physical violence can happen,” her partner Cristina said.

Mariana said that women and people who identify as females participated in the Lencha Marcha because “spaces are needed for girls.”

The march wore a festive look as protesters said that walking together made them feel safe in a country where an average of 11 women are killed every day.

“We come to these groups not only because we are lesbians, but also because of all those women who have disappeared and we do not find answers,” Tania said.

The demonstration comes during the LGBT Pride Month, during which some of the largest marches happen in Latin America in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

Many participants said they would attend the LGBT pride day march on June 25. EFE

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