In a context the place discrimination and exclusion proceed to be a actuality for Bolivia’s LGBTQ group, Casa Trans Pamela Valenzuela stands as a refuge and complete help heart for transgender individuals.
Casa Trans because it opened in 2022 has supplied important companies that transcend easy housing, providing authorized, medical, psychological, and meals help.
Positioned within the San Pedro neighborhood of La Paz, the nationwide capital, Casa Trans opens every day, providing a soup kitchen the place shoppers can put together their very own meals. Anybody in want of a meal is welcome, though its principal goal is to help trans men and women.
Luna Humérez, president of the Organización de Travestis, Transgéneros y Transexuales Femeninas (Otraf) in Bolivia and director of Casa Trans, instructed the Washington Blade the undertaking started to deal with wants the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated. Many trans individuals discovered themselves homeless and with out means to help themselves due to the lack of casual jobs or intercourse work.
Assist from the International Fund allowed Humérez and different activists to create an area that provides free meals and shelter.
“What impressed the creation of the Casa Trans was post-COVID,” defined Humérez. “You understand that in COVID there have been many issues with the trans group, particularly the Latino trans group, as a result of they have been doing intercourse work, they lived every day, they lived in rents, they may not exit to work. So, many suffered from housing and meals points. So, the creation of the Casa Trans was to mitigate a bit and assist the trans inhabitants with free meals from Monday to Friday.”
The activist mentioned the help that Casa Trans has been in a position to provide has expanded.
“The areas have been expanded, a multidisciplinary care workforce has been expanded, from a social employee, a psychologist, an endocrinologist, a normal practitioner, a authorized advisor, a lawyer and the peer-to-peer work that we do,” mentioned Humérez.
“The house has advanced an excessive amount of and we’re attending an increasing number of instances and serving to an increasing number of individuals. And never solely LGBT individuals, but additionally individuals in weak conditions,” she added.
LGBTQ individuals in Bolivia proceed to face important challenges in well being, schooling, employment, and housing, regardless of some authorized and social advances.
The First Digital Survey of the nation’s LGBTQ group, which the Ombudsman’s Workplace and the Nationwide Institute of Statistics carried out, discovered greater than 60 % of respondents mentioned they’ve confronted discrimination sooner or later of their lives. This mistreatment contains verbal and bodily violence and exclusion within the workforce and the schooling system.
Thirty-three % of respondents additionally mentioned they don’t have any sort of well being care; with sexual minorities and trans ladies probably the most weak. Sixty-five % of respondents mentioned they have no idea entry Bolivia’s Unified Well being System.
Humérez identified that “laws in Bolivia and the rights of trans individuals have been bettering over time.”
“We have now had a leftist authorities that, though it has completed some issues such because the Gender Id Regulation and the Anti-discrimination Regulation, they haven’t been sufficient,” Humérez instructed the Blade. “In the mean time the trans inhabitants in Bolivia doesn’t have all of the rights because the cisgender inhabitants. So, at this second we’re minimize off from many issues and we expect it will be important that we should maintain combating and combating in order that the state can acknowledge our full rights with none restrictions.”
Humérez mentioned it will be important for LGBTQ activists to take part in elections that may happen this 12 months.
“I believe it will be important that we should be political actors in these new elections which can be coming this 12 months,” she mentioned.
Casa Trans struggles to safe funding
Casa Trans not solely presents a roof and meals; however authorized recommendation, specialised medical care within the transition course of, psychological help, and job coaching alternatives. A multidisciplinary workforce — a lawyer, a social employee, a psychologist, and an endocrinologist — works to offer these companies. Casa Trans additionally arranges scholarships for colleagues who want to research at a college or technical institute.
“The challenges are difficult as a result of we would not have direct funding,” mentioned Humérez, who famous those that work with Casa Trans are volunteers.
She mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump’s resolution to freeze almost all American overseas help will make efforts to safe sufficient funding for Casa Trans much more troublesome.
“Now with Donald Trump changing into president of the US, I imagine that many issues will turn out to be harder, not solely in the US, however this can even have an effect on the international locations of the area, Latin America, amongst others,” mentioned Humérez. “So, for us it will be important that we have now monetary help in order that our work can proceed as a result of the work we do is essential.”
The existence and work of the Pamela Valenzuela Trans Home highlights the urgency of addressing the inequalities and discrimination confronted by the LGBTQ group in Bolivia.
