Colombia is the country with the third most murders of trans women in Latin America. This number is even more concerning in light of the fact that Latin America registers 68 percent of this type of homicide in the world. In this context, there are trans activists who fight for a better world for all women, like Lorena Duarte Bedoya from Bogotá. From within the District Secretariat for Women, Lorena Duarte works against discrimination directed at trans women. For example, she is the “mom” of Transidencias, an event that highlights the political positions of trans people, thus contributing to the promotion and protection of their rights. This upcoming November 20, it will celebrate its fourth iteration. “[The District Secretariat of Bogotá] has responded to my focus on trans women, asking that we be heard, and this has made an impact within the organization,” she explains. This is the third interview in the Global Voices series #VoicesOfChange (#VocesdelCambio), in which we interview activists and social changemakers in Latin America. It has been edited for clarity. Lucía Jiménez Peñuela: Tell us, who is Lorena? Lorena Duarte: Soy una mujer transexual. Inicié mi proceso a los 17 años, consumiendo hormonas de forma artesanal. Con el tiempo, decidí hacer completamente mi tránsito, logrando las cirugías a través de acciones de tutelas* contra las entidades del sistema de salud colombiano. Hace seis años que me hicieron la cirugía de cambio de sexo. Me ha tomado muchísimos años sentirme plena y completamente tranquila con quién soy. Además, estudié administración de empresas y soy artista escénica. Terminé una maestría en teatro y artes vivas. Lorena Duarte: I am a trans woman. I began my process at 17, taking homemade hormones. Eventually, I decided to completely transition by obtaining surgeries through legal action (tutela*) against the entities of the Colombian health system. It's been six years since I had my sex reassignment surgery. It has taken me many years to feel fully at ease with who I am. I also studied business administration and I am a performing artist. I have a master's degree in theatre and live arts. LJP: How many years have you been an activist? LD: Son más de 15 años trabajando con la pública LGBTI en Bogotá, desde el 2008, siendo la primera mujer trans contratada por el Distrito de la capital para esta labor. En ese entonces, recién iniciaba mi tránsito. Asistí con un grupo de chicos gays a una reconocida discoteca de Bogotá. A todos ellos los dejaron ingresar, pero a mí, me pidieron una tarjeta especial de afiliación. Entonces, empecé a darme cuenta que, así pertenezcamos a esta población, no a todas las personas de estos sectores LGBTI nos tratan de la misma forma. Ese “estallido” me hizo pensar que había mucho que hacer por los derechos de nosotras las mujeres trans y de las personas trans en general. Si miro 15 años hacia atrás, efectivamente se han logrado muchísimas ganancias en un desarrollo como sociedad frente a la garantía de los derechos. Pero sabemos que todavía falta un montón. LD: I have been working with the LGBTI rights from the public sector in Bogotá for more than 15 years, since 2008. I'm the first trans woman hired by Capital District for this work. At that time, I was just starting my transition. Once, I went with a group of gay guys to a well-known club in Bogotá. All of them were allowed to enter, but I was asked for a special membership card. That's when I began to realize that, even if we all belong to this population, not all people from these LGBTI groups are treated in the same way. That “outburst” made me think that there was a lot to do for the rights of us trans women and trans people in general. If I look back to 15 years ago, it's clear that we have made a lot of gains in social development in terms of guaranteeing rights. But we know that there is still a long way to go. Lorena Duarte, photo used with her permission LJP: What have you learned from the projects you have been involved in? LD: Sobre todo los procesos legales para acceder al derecho a la salud, como lo relacionado con las tutelas para acceder a las cirugías. Luego, al formar parte del equipo artístico de la Secretaría de Integración Social, fue como una segunda etapa en la que me di cuenta que el arte moviliza muchísimas cosas. No es lo mismo pararme frente a un público, explicarles que esto es sexo, que esto otro es género, y lo que significa ser una persona trans. Con el arte como herramienta de formación, la información entraba de forma diferente, la gente era más participativa, preguntaba más. Fue muy valioso. LD: Above all, the legal processes to access the right to healthcare, such as those related to the legal actions to access surgeries.