Argentine President Cristina Kirchner on Wednesday called on the country’s security forces to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of Diana Sacayán, a leading transgender activist.
The death of Diana Sacayán, whose body was identified Tuesday, was condemned by Kirchner as a “terrible crime” that demanded investigation from both the national and metropolitan police.
Kirchner recalled personally handing the activist a national identity card that reflected Sacayán’s gender identity. She was the first transgender person in Argentina to have her gender identity reflected on such a card.
Sacayán, president of the International Association of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals, as well as a member of the Anti-Discrimination Liberation Movement, is the third transgender woman to be killed in Argentina in the last 30 days.
ILGA mourns the loss of Diana Sacayán, Argentinian trans activist http://t.co/G32FmNvcrm pic.twitter.com/7zgXXCDRGQ
— ILGA (@ILGAWORLD)
October 14, 2015
Sacayán’s death is also one of many recent cases of femicide in Argentina. Activists say a woman is killed in Argentina as often as once every 30 hours. The nation’s Special Crime Unit Against Gender Violence has already made a formal motion so that the case can be tried and investigated as a femicide.
Meanwhile, the Argentinian Homosexual Community characterized Sacayán’s death as a “hate crime,” suggesting she was targeted based on her transgender identity.
La discriminación sigue matando. El de Diana Sacayán es el tercer femicidio #trans en un mes http://t.co/HoZBMcTrgv pic.twitter.com/o3PGkIsXIa
— Esteban Paulon (@epaulonlgbt)
October 14, 2015
“Discrimination continues to kill. Diana Sacayán is the third transfemicide in a month.”
Kirchner called on women to join the fight against gender-based discrimination, saying they too are complicit.
"Men are not the only ones who can discriminate against women,” said Kirchner. “If we are 50 percent of the planet and there is discrimination this means we have problems inside. Often we discriminate between women ourselves.”
The Argentine President added that she takes pride in her womanhood saying she likes to take care of her appearance, including hairstyle and make-up.
"I love to emphasize that I am woman and I also respect those who don’t like to. I like being a woman and for being a woman sometimes we are discriminated against, " Kirchner said.