Yucatrans: Fighting for the rights of the transgender community
An organization based in Mérida is fighting to improve the quality of life of Yucatán’s transgender community.
The nonprofit, called Yucatrans, is headed by Miranda Abigail Trillo Herrera, who for over 15 years has advocated for the rights of transgender men and women.
“Currently we are focusing our efforts on offering medical aid to individuals undergoing hormone therapy, as well as offering urological and gynecological medical services through our medical partners,” said Trillo Herrera in a telephone interview.
The organization is also active in promoting human rights, facilitating access to legal representation and lobbying local, state and federal governments to advance the interests of the trans community.
“It is not that one thing is more important than others. Our empowerment programs, education initiatives and political aims are all essential. However, the current pandemic has forced us to narrow our focus on the most immediate issue — which at this point is the physical and psychological wellbeing of our community.”
Trillo Herrera said that although some improvements have been made, Yucatán remains an extremely transphobic region, an observation shared by Mexico’s human rights commission.
Though the community has not historically been visible on political ballots, PRD-nominated Naomi Arjona Rosas will be the first transgender mayoral candidate in Progreso this June. Also, the PAN recently announced the candidacy of Karla Coronado for a seat representing Veracruz in Mexico’s national assembly.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, aside from medical, psychological and legal services, Yucatrans has also organized food drives to help trans individuals who have lost their jobs in the past year.
Yucatrans also coordinates with other organizations at the national and international level to better address the needs of trans individuals in the region.
For more information about Yucatrans, visit the group’s Facebook page, which has nearly 2,000 followers.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
