Photojournalist Danielle Villasana challenges stereotypes and prejudices against transgender people through an exhibition of photographs as part of the UN Free & Equal campaign in Peru.
AFTER MANY YEARS, MY FAMILY ACCEPTED ME.
“The most important thing is what you feel inside your heart, how you accept the other person and the opportunities you provide for your son or daughter to be happy, without conditions. The most important thing is who he wants to be and that he feels my support”, said Naidu's mom.
I’M THE FIRST TRANS WOMAN TO BE TAKING PART IN A MUSIC COMPETITION ON TELEVISION.
"Art can help each of us to overcome difficulties. Why aren’t we bold enough? Why don’t we decide to follow our dreams, why do we limit ourselves? Why not be one of the first transsexual women to participate in an song contest that is so well-known internationally?"
WE ARE A FAMILY NOW.
“It was not easy for us to build this family. I consider him my son and he considers me his dad. The laws will never allow me to adopt him because I’m labeled trans. He would like to tell other kids who have dads like me, that they should not be ashamed, that we are not bad people.”
I FOUND MY WAY WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH A DEPRESSION.
“My teachers used to tell me: ‘You dress like a woman, you want implants?’ It’s hard to study in places where you are discriminated. If people took the time to know us, they would realize that there is a human being inside that is very similar to themselves. There is nothing wrong with striving to be true to who you really are.”
WHEN I FINISHED MY DEGREE THEY WOULDN´T LET ME TEACH BECAUSE I WAS TRANS.
“I obtained top marks and was the first trans person to be accepted into the University of Tarapoto. I did not imagine what would come after that. Everything went wrong. We live in a closed-minded society, people marginalize us.”
I AM A FOUNDING MEMBER OF PERU'S FIRST ASSOCIATION OF TRANS MEN.
“They punished me by making me wear skirts, they threatened to take me to a psychologist and to inject me with female hormones to make me change. When I found out about the word ´transgender´, I knew that it defined me. The idea of the trans organization FTM Peru is to be able to provide to others what I would have liked to have received myself: information and emotional support”.
I SEEK TO PREVENT VIOLENCE THROUGH ACTIVISM.
“I am an activist because I want a better life for myself and for others. It is a fight for the younger generation to be able to speak without fear about their sexual orientation. To stop bullying, to prevent suicides. This is why I decided to be an activist, I want this to end.”
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WAS DIFFERENT.
“My family criticized me for the way I dressed. It was not easy, but they understand me now. There are no human rights for us. We are people with values, with the same capacity to love, to achieve our dreams and to have a family. We are happy as we are. But we would be even happier with society´s support”
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY HOUSE FOR TRANS WOMEN.
“They find a space of peace and safety.” (Maricielo). “It’s important that a trans woman who has started her transition have someone accompany her.” (Hally) “The important thing is to feel good wherever you go.” (Alexandra) “We fight for our community.” (Thais) “We are normal people who want to live like everyone else.” (Frida)
I WANT TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER WOMEN.
“Society closes its doors on us. People discriminate us out of ignorance. They see us as people who are mentally ill. Many trans women are involved in sex work because they are pushed into it. They tell me that they would like to leave sex work. There is no trans woman that tells me 'I am proud to be a sex worker'. Not one, I’m positive of that”.
PEOPLE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
“They should educate us from an early age. Everything starts there. Some people don’t know how to tell their parents, they are afraid. They are not happy” (Carusso). “I feel proud of my partner, he is a hard worker. We try to move forward together so people see that we aren’t scum, that we have a good life.” (Roxana)
I KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR EQUAL TREATMENT.
“I told the doctor ´My name is Leyla Huerta´ and he says, ´Ok Mr. Huerta´. He sees how I am dressed - calling me ´Mister´ is intentional. You feel unprotected. Rights are not made for you. You don´t exist. We need a gender identity law that recognises us as citizens and our gender.
DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES, I HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE HOSPITAL FOR 8 YEARS.
“‘You should work at night, when there are less people.’ ‘You have to come as you are on your identification card,’ they would tell to me. There are many intelligent trans women who have studied, but it means fighting against the entire system. Where do many of these women end up? Sex work”.
MY LIFE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN - I VIEW IT AS A REBIRTH.
“To make a living as a musician and to be trans is like committing suicide. Before I always found a job when I looked for it, because I had studied in the Conservatory. However, since I started to live like I always wanted, I don´t find work so easily. They are wrong, not me.”
MY LIFE IS LIKE THAT OF A BUTTERFLY!
I thought that by drinking I would forget the pain I had inside. I heard about self-esteem lectures. I found a strong inner force, like a butterfly. You are in your cocoon locked in with your fears and you want to get out. When you get out, you fly! But we are still not free in this society. That’s why I got myself more involved in the struggle”.
The exhibition “I have rights” was first displayed in a public park in Lima in December 2015. It was organised by the UN country team in Peru, including UNAIDS, UNIC Lima, UNDP and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in cooperation with the photographer Danielle Villasana and local civil society organizations and academic institutions.
As in all parts of the world, transgender people in Peru face high levels of discrimination and stigma, as well as violence, unemployment and poverty.
Photojournalist Danielle Villasana challenges stereotypes and prejudices against transgender people through an exhibition of photographs as part of the UN Free & Equal campaign in Peru.
AFTER MANY YEARS, MY FAMILY ACCEPTED ME.
“The most important thing is what you feel inside your heart, how you accept the other person and the opportunities you provide for your son or daughter to be happy, without conditions. The most important thing is who he wants to be and that he feels my support”, said Naidu's mom.
I’M THE FIRST TRANS WOMAN TO BE TAKING PART IN A MUSIC COMPETITION ON TELEVISION.
"Art can help each of us to overcome difficulties. Why aren’t we bold enough? Why don’t we decide to follow our dreams, why do we limit ourselves? Why not be one of the first transsexual women to participate in an song contest that is so well-known internationally?"
WE ARE A FAMILY NOW.
“It was not easy for us to build this family. I consider him my son and he considers me his dad. The laws will never allow me to adopt him because I’m labeled trans. He would like to tell other kids who have dads like me, that they should not be ashamed, that we are not bad people.”
I FOUND MY WAY WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH A DEPRESSION.
“My teachers used to tell me: ‘You dress like a woman, you want implants?’ It’s hard to study in places where you are discriminated. If people took the time to know us, they would realize that there is a human being inside that is very similar to themselves. There is nothing wrong with striving to be true to who you really are.”
WHEN I FINISHED MY DEGREE THEY WOULDN´T LET ME TEACH BECAUSE I WAS TRANS.
“I obtained top marks and was the first trans person to be accepted into the University of Tarapoto. I did not imagine what would come after that. Everything went wrong. We live in a closed-minded society, people marginalize us.”
I AM A FOUNDING MEMBER OF PERU'S FIRST ASSOCIATION OF TRANS MEN.
“They punished me by making me wear skirts, they threatened to take me to a psychologist and to inject me with female hormones to make me change. When I found out about the word ´transgender´, I knew that it defined me. The idea of the trans organization FTM Peru is to be able to provide to others what I would have liked to have received myself: information and emotional support”.
I SEEK TO PREVENT VIOLENCE THROUGH ACTIVISM.
“I am an activist because I want a better life for myself and for others. It is a fight for the younger generation to be able to speak without fear about their sexual orientation. To stop bullying, to prevent suicides. This is why I decided to be an activist, I want this to end.”
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WAS DIFFERENT.
“My family criticized me for the way I dressed. It was not easy, but they understand me now. There are no human rights for us. We are people with values, with the same capacity to love, to achieve our dreams and to have a family. We are happy as we are. But we would be even happier with society´s support”
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY HOUSE FOR TRANS WOMEN.
“They find a space of peace and safety.” (Maricielo). “It’s important that a trans woman who has started her transition have someone accompany her.” (Hally) “The important thing is to feel good wherever you go.” (Alexandra) “We fight for our community.” (Thais) “We are normal people who want to live like everyone else.” (Frida)
I WANT TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER WOMEN.
“Society closes its doors on us. People discriminate us out of ignorance. They see us as people who are mentally ill. Many trans women are involved in sex work because they are pushed into it. They tell me that they would like to leave sex work. There is no trans woman that tells me 'I am proud to be a sex worker'. Not one, I’m positive of that”.
PEOPLE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
“They should educate us from an early age. Everything starts there. Some people don’t know how to tell their parents, they are afraid. They are not happy” (Carusso). “I feel proud of my partner, he is a hard worker. We try to move forward together so people see that we aren’t scum, that we have a good life.” (Roxana)
I KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR EQUAL TREATMENT.
“I told the doctor ´My name is Leyla Huerta´ and he says, ´Ok Mr. Huerta´. He sees how I am dressed - calling me ´Mister´ is intentional. You feel unprotected. Rights are not made for you. You don´t exist. We need a gender identity law that recognises us as citizens and our gender.
DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES, I HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE HOSPITAL FOR 8 YEARS.
“‘You should work at night, when there are less people.’ ‘You have to come as you are on your identification card,’ they would tell to me. There are many intelligent trans women who have studied, but it means fighting against the entire system. Where do many of these women end up? Sex work”.
MY LIFE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN - I VIEW IT AS A REBIRTH.
“To make a living as a musician and to be trans is like committing suicide. Before I always found a job when I looked for it, because I had studied in the Conservatory. However, since I started to live like I always wanted, I don´t find work so easily. They are wrong, not me.”
MY LIFE IS LIKE THAT OF A BUTTERFLY!
I thought that by drinking I would forget the pain I had inside. I heard about self-esteem lectures. I found a strong inner force, like a butterfly. You are in your cocoon locked in with your fears and you want to get out. When you get out, you fly! But we are still not free in this society. That’s why I got myself more involved in the struggle”.
The exhibition “I have rights” was first displayed in a public park in Lima in December 2015. It was organised by the UN country team in Peru, including UNAIDS, UNIC Lima, UNDP and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in cooperation with the photographer Danielle Villasana and local civil society organizations and academic institutions.
As in all parts of the world, transgender people in Peru face high levels of discrimination and stigma, as well as violence, unemployment and poverty.
