Emilio at some point in his life was called Victoria, although this was not really his feminine name, which he prefers not to reveal). Since her arrival in the garden, Victoria was attracted to a girl. Back then, she still had a healthy relationship with her friends and family, like any little one, but her tastes didn’t match her body.
A conflict with his identity generated an imbalance in his life, since he was in a body that he did not feel his own and he was required to wear feminine clothing. He describes his childhood as “disturbing”. “Not being able to fit in can lead to suicide attempts,” says Villafuerte, who at the age of 26 made the most important decision of his life: to begin his transition.
The Transition is a process that transgender people undergo. The Human Rights Campaign site describes it as “the moment when they begin to live their lives in the gender they identify with instead of the sex they were assigned at birth.” In most cases it includes hormonal therapy. In others, a sex reassignment surgery.
Currently, Emily is an activist for the rights of LGBTIQ+ peoplewhose complications in his life have not been an obstacle to function in the world of work. He has been married for three years and has aspirations of being a father of a family. He is a lover of the beach and music, he hopes soon to learn to play the drums, one of his dreams. Her life experience has generated the need to help other trans men.
The transition
Going from Victoria to Emilio was a long process, full of constant visits to doctors and psychologists who were completely unaware of the subject. “They were more concerned about considering me sick and discriminating against me than offering me medical care. They even put religion above their trade.” The transition process, which involves the consumption of medications, hormones and surgeries, is of high value in the country, in the case of Emilio, $3,000 initially.
The American Psychological Association, since 1975, has called on psychologists to actively work to eliminate the stigma of mental illness that has been associated for many years with lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations. “One of the main allies in ignorance is the Internet and this is why many people begin to self-medicate, but it is completely insecure,” explains Villafuerte.
At the age of 26, he began his transition at the hands of a doctor who, despite not knowing about the subject, chose to help him. Villafuerte says that the $3,000 he needed to start the transition forced him to make up his mind. “I had to make a very important decision, this was to abandon my studies, to dedicate myself entirely to work and be able to fulfill my dream.”
Know how difficult it is to transition, find yourself alone and be discriminated against for being who you are, for being born in a body that you do not feel yours and as he mentions “does not correspond”, led him to provide help to his “peers”, so that they can have a less complicated transition to the one he experienced.
Courageous of Heart is born
His “peers” are other trans men like him, whom he respects and admires. Since 2016, it has been a support for approximately 60 male trans men through the Valientes de Corazón collective.an organization co-founded by Villafuerte to welcome trans men, support them in their transition process and place them in the world of work.
“Brave at Heart” born of invisibility, and seeks to give trans masculine people a space in society”, explains Villafuerte. “When we think of the trans population, the first thing that comes to mind is a trans woman, not a trans man, and that is where it begins. the invisibility. Although we trans masculine are less visible, we are victims of discrimination on a daily basis.”
The main objective is to give a hopeful message to other people who may not have started their transition or are unaware of the subject and require help, but above all to generate community.
Initially it started with small meetings in a coffee shop, in which they talked about their life experiences and their problems. In many cases, young people approach who do not know who can help or guide them on this path and who fear being discriminated against within the health system.
“Us We help them by recommending doctors, psychologists, we tell them what they need to obtain their ID, among other things.”, details Villafuerte. At the moment he has collaborated with around 60 people.
At 34 years old, he has not yet been able to obtain a university degree, but he managed to fulfill his mission and greatest desire. The transition not only opened doors for him to new life experiences, it also distanced him from his family. To date his mother does not accept it. “He doesn’t even respect me”, comment. Although Emilio has a job in the public sector, he considers it difficult, almost impossible to get a job if you reveal that you are a trans person.
Being an LGBTIQ+ person in Ecuador is still complicated, as Villafuerte reveals. In 2013, the INEC carried out the first LGBTIQ+ study, which revealed that seven out of ten members of the LGBTI community have suffered some type of discrimination in their family environment. Control. Imposition. Rejection. Violence. The family nucleus decided that controlling, imposing, repudiating, attacking they were valid options to change what that environment believed was not correct.
In Ecuador, the murders of trans people are classified as hate crimes. In 2020, at least 10 trans women were murdered. Despite the fact that the Constitution establishes in article 11, numeral 2, that no one can be discriminated against because of their gender or sex identity, the murders of members of the LGBTIQ+ community in Ecuador continue. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
