Amada

AMADA I am Amada. I am 12 years old. I always felt like a girl although I was not born that way. When I was younger, my family could not see who I was, yet because they loved me they did a lot of research and realized that inside, I was a girl. Once I […]

Andy y Patty

ANDY Y PATTY In March 2020, the pandemic struck Guayaquil. My partner Patty and I lost our jobs. We were left without a place to live, and had contracted COVID-19. We took refuge at my aunt’s apartment. Patty developed a high fever, her kidneys ached, and her blood pressure dropped. As soon as she started […]

Doménico

DOMÉNICO There is more to identity than the names and labels society chooses for us. My journey of self-discovery began only after I recognized that I was trans non-binary. Once I’d opened my mind to the possibilities of my being, I could no longer take refuge in traditional gender roles.  The only true names are […]

Gustavo y Oscar

GUSTAVO Y ÓSCAR This May we will have been together for six years. We are a couple and a family. / Gustavo is a professional dancer; when I saw him dance the first time it was so sensual. Then he won me over with his honesty, his strength. / Oscar is so different from what […]

Mati

MATI I am comfortable in my own skin, I identify as non-binary and do not care about the judgement of others. Yet I think back to my childhood; spent in constant fear and persecution. Somewhere inside me that little boy still hides alone, curled in a fetal position, under the school desk, fearful of the […]

Koranji

KORANJI Every day I feel the pressure to conceal my true self under makeup and feminine clothing. Whether in public or at work; society demands that you not only perform a role, but you look the part. It is more important that your appearance adheres to the heteronormative values of others, than expresses your essence. […]

Cris y Diana

DIANA Y CRISTINA It was finding you, in the brief touch of your hand, in the long embrace of your hug. Our love is not defined by labels. We do not take turns playing man or woman. We love each other with the masculinity and femininity that lives within us both. /I love Diana, her […]

Zumak

ZUMAK I am forty years old. I have overcome many challenges to be able to take pride in my sexual identity and my roots. I have overcome religious imposition, racism, a lack of opportunities; the double discrimination of being both queer and indigenous. Each day I confront the contradictions between my life in the city […]

Emilio

EMILIO The trans community is reliant upon medical treatment and professional support to ensure a safe and healthy transition, yet public health providers in Ecuador completely ignore these needs due to prejudice or ignorance.  Dismissed by doctors, many in the community are left with no option but to attempt hormone therapy without medical supervision. I’ve […]

Gledys

GLEDYS Destiny is a very important part of my identity. Through her, I saw the possibilities of what I could become. Gender roles have always restricted me, preventing me from embracing my femininity. I now identify as non-binary, and refuse to adhere to the norms that others expect of me. The art of drag has […]