Den här intervjun med kollektivets grundare, Camilo Andrés Rojas publicerades i Civis newsletter förra året. Camilo Andres kommer tillsammans med Diana Grajales från organisationen Lebiapolis att medverka på Civis konferens "Intersektionalitet som arbetsmetod" den 29-30 november på Världskulturmuseet i Göteborg.
TRANSITING THROUGH LIFE
Camilo Andrés Rojas is the founder of the Colectivo de Entre-Tránsitos and co-ordinator of the Civis-funded project Masculinidades Transgresoras. He explains the history, concepts and challenges that face transmen every day in Colombia. Working in Bogotá, the Colectivo de Entre-Tránsitos is the first and only group in the country dealing with issues related to transmen.
Many of the Entre-Tránsitos group’s members do not identify with the concept "transgender". They associate this with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) constructions that emphasize dualities and fix gender roles. According to Entre-Tránsitos, transgender reinforces the duality of the genders - masculine and feminine - which does not interest most of the guys involved in Entre-Tránsitos. As a consequence, the organization prefers to use the word "trans", in reference to diversity. This is because many of the men do not transit between genders; they make bodily changes but then stop and fluctuate in-between.
Civis: What is the Colectivo de Entre-Tránsitos? When and why was it founded and who participates?
C. Rojas: The Colectivo de Entre-Tránsitos is an organization in which transmen (individuals born female but who now see themselves as male) or individuals with experience of translife have an opportunity to meet. Entre-Tránsitos was founded in January, 2009. Marina Bernal, who works with human rights organizations in Latin America, encouraged transmen to organize themselves. She emphasized the importance of taking care of oneself, respecting one’s body, accepting the differences that exist between us and also looking at it from a different perspective: being trans is not the end of the world! She suggested that it is important to discuss different ways of being a man, and not to follow the patriarchal “machista” model that is prevalent in Latin America.
In addition to the four coordinators, approximately 25 individuals participate in the organization’s various activities.
Often, when talking about trans, people only discuss female trans (individuals who were born male and now see themselves as female) and the male trans have a lower porfile. There are many for this. Firstly, female trans are more visible because of their physical characteristics: as women, they are often tall and stand out. And, secondly, we believe that female trans take up more space because of patriarchy.
Through the fact that transwomen are born men, they have been given male privileges, and the now trans women are the patrons of patriarchy (often referred to as “machismo” in Latin America). Transmen, on the other hand, were born women and have a different perspective - they are more calm and friendly. A third reason for the greater visibility of transwomen is that they have been organized for a longer time than transmen, mainly through the LGBT movement.
Civis: Why is it so important to raise the profile of young transmen in Colombia?
C. Rojas: There is an expression - what you don´t mention, does not exist - and in Colombia there is a lack of knowledge regarding these issues. There are many obstacles preventing transmen from progressing. For example, there is a lot of discrimination in the job market, which prevents them from being able to find decent employment. Also, there are very few doctors and health clinics that work with transmen in Colombia. This, in addition to lack of financial resources, means that transmen have to experiment in order to change their bodies, and this can jeopardize their health.
Moreover, in Colombia it is easy to change your name, but it is very difficult to change your sex status. This means that you can have a male name on your ID card but with the physical characteristics of a female. It is important to change this, as it would give transmen more peace and could help avoid conflicts, for example when the police stop and search us.
Overall, it is important that transmen, like all citizens, have access to their rights. Mechanisms do exist, but you have to know how to use them.
Civis: The organization is currently implementing the six-month project Masculinidades Transgresoras in alliance with El Colectivo de Hombres y Masculinidades, which is funded through Civis’ Fund for Small Projects.
C. Rojas: The half-year project is entering its final month of implementation of activities with transmen, such as workshops, a camp, public demonstrations and advocacy. Its purpose is to support young transmen or individuals with experience with translife and to raise the profile of transmen. Around 25 young individuals have been participating in the different activities, and this number is an achievement in itself. Also, Entre-Tránsitos has been holding advocacy meetings with institutions.
Civis: Which activity has been the most successful and why?
C. Rojas: All the different activities, including the workshops, the camp and the advocacy activities have borne fruit. At first we had many doubts and expectations, bearing in mind that this is a pilot project by and for transmen. One of the most important results is that we have developed friendships with the participants. It has also been important for the men to be able to be who they want, within the framework of new masculinities. It is different and more challenging for a transman to think of non-traditional masculinity than for a non-trans man, as transmen often feel a need to reassert their masculinity even more than non- trans men. But the project has contributed to making guys think differently now - they can have deeper relationships, enjoy their bodies, recognize and identify themselves as men in transit, and have a calmer attitude.
The District Institute for Participation and Community Action (IDEPAC- Insituto Distrital de la Participación y Acción Comunal), has had a strong presence in the project and we have also been working with the Secretary for Social Integration (Secretaría de Integración Social). Additionally, we have been in contact with the Health Secretary, as well as health centers and hospitals around Bogotá in order to increase their knowledge about transmen.
Notable results from our advocacy work include a change in how we are treated. The dialogue is now different and the use of language has altered.
In addition, we have been exchanging experiences with other minority groups, such as the indigenous and Afro-Colombian population as well as the Roma community.
Civis: What have been the greatest surprises implementing this project and working with trans issues?
C. Rojas: When we first designed this project, we talked about one transit - transiting from a woman to a man. But after a while, we realized that there is not just one transit but there are many. For example, one woman member of the group does not identify herself as a transman or as trans. But she feels like she is transiting in her daily life, but this does not mean that we need to label her a man. She is not interested in making bodily changes and she identifies herself as a human being. Not as a man or a woman, but as a human being.
Through the activities, we also try to include feminine aspects to our masculinity. To be able to rescue and enjoy our feminine sides makes us calmer - to think of femininity from the masculine perspective. There are many different experiences and we value all different transits. There are some transits that are very lineal, and there are some that are not. It is important to remember that there is no final destiny. There is no end and there is not just one model.
Also, we did not expect that so many people would take part. There are people participating whom we have known for a long time but did not know that they were thinking about these things. Through the project, we now know that these people are thinking differently.
Also, the fact that we have been meeting many art groups have made us think about transit from an artistic perspective. Art has been the rescue for many of these guys, and it is important to start including it in the different activities.
Civis: Which are the greatest difficulties/challenges working with these issues?
C. Rojas: The greatest challenge is the imposition of the traditional model of masculinity - many of the guys were referring to it. They were questioning how we were doing things and what we were doing was interpreted as something feminine. It made the guys feel very insecure and questioned. This destabilized the group, but is also part of the transit.
Civis: What is the best part of this work?
C. Rojas: To have our own experience as a starting point for our work, to work from the heart and from what we feel. To work with our brothers, those that are committed. We find most of the trans guys have family relationships that are a bit different from the conventional ones because they are trans. We (Entre-Tránsitos) serve as a kind of protection and support group, helping them to look at their transit.
Civis: What has this project meant to the Colectivo Entre-Tránsitos?
C. Rojas: It has given us a lot of potential. We have been working since last year, but with a lot of limitations. We were working through blogs, but there were very few participants and we did not go out on the streets. Or, if we did go out on the streets, there were very few of us. This has been the year of making us visible, while creating contacts and networks with other organizations and institutions.
Civis: Do you have anything else that you want to add, any more relevant information?
C. Rojas: Yes... I am single... just joking...
For any more information, please contact: entretransitos@gmail.com or visit their blog http://entretransitos.blogspot.com.
Camilo Andrés Rojas is the founder of the Colectivo de Entre-Tránsitos and co-coordinator of the Civis-funded project Masculinidades Transgresoras, together with Nikita Dupuis, Camile Losada and Sebastian Cifuentes.
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