The first National Trans March of Ecuador, November 20, 2020. Photo by Andrea Romero, used with permission. Rita Hester, a black transgender woman, was brutally murdered in her United States apartment in 1998. Her death became one of the catalysts behind the International Transgender Day of Remembrance held every November 20. The day memorializes members of the transgender community who have lost their lives to acts of violence caused by transphobia. On 2020's Transgender Day of Remembrance, Ecuador's transgender community organized its first-ever National Trans March which was celebrated in cities across the country. La Red Comunitaria Trans (the Trans Community Network), based in Guayaquil, was in charge of organizing the march. Pachaqueer, one of the participating collectives, sent out a press release explaining the importance of the march: #marchamostrans en ruptura cøntracultural y pølítica pørque #estamoshartas de las élites y cønsevadurismøs lgbtiq+. marchamøs para reclamar espaciøs dønde læs persønas trans pødamøs ser recønøcidæs desde la autønømia de nuestras existencias. marchamøs en memøria de nuestræs muertæs y en resistencia de nuestræs cuerpæs. #marchamostrans (We walk as trans) against culture and pølitics because ##estamoshartas (We've had enough) øf the LGBTIQ+ elites and cønservatism. we march tø claim spaces where trans peøple can be recøgnized starting with the autønømy øf øur existence. we march in memøry øf øur dead and in resistance før øur bødies. Coca and Mota, both founders and managers of Pachaqueer, spoke with Global Voices on Zoom. The first National Trans March of Ecuador, November 20, 2020. Photo by Andrea Romero, used with permission. Carlos E. Flores (CF): What was the objective and political agenda for the first National Trans March in Ecuador? Coca: Uno de los principales detonantes para la organización desde la autonomía y desde la colectividad de esta marcha fue que estamos hartas, estamos cansadas de la deuda social, de la deuda estatal, de la mercantilización de la lucha trans. Entonces, sentimos que estos 23 años en Ecuador la despenalización [de la homosexualidad] está vigente, ya no somos detenidas simplemente por el hecho de existir pero sigue habiendo una discriminación social, una penalización en las calles hacia las cuerpas trans. Y las élites o las hegemonías que han llevado la lucha LGTBI, aquí en el país, durante todo este tiempo, lo único que han hecho ha sido lucrar de las muertes de las personas trans, de las necesidades de la población trans. Sentimos que ha llegado a un punto en que nosotras ya no queremos dialogar con estas organizaciones porque nos sentimos instrumentalizadas a pesar de que esta lucha por la despenalización [de la homosexualidad] en el país fue encabezada por personas travestis y transexuales e, irónicamente, esta misma población es la que ha sido rezagada durante toda la historia […]. Coca (C): We organized the march on our own with the community mainly because we are fed up, we are tired of the social debt, of the State debt, of the commodification of the struggle of trans people. Since the decriminalization [of homosexuality] in Ecuador 23 years ago, we are no longer being arrested simply because we exist, but there is still social discrimination and criminalization in the streets against the female trans body. During all this time, the elites or the leaders that have fought for the LGTBI in our country only have profited from the deaths of trans people, from the needs of the trans population. We feel that we have reached a point where we no longer want to dialogue with these organizations, because we feel instrumentalized, despite the fact that the fight for the decriminalization [of homosexuality] in the country was led by trans people. And, ironically, it is this same population that has been left behind throughout history […]. The first National Trans March of Ecuador, November 20, 2020. Photo by Andrea Romero, used with permission. CF: What concrete demands did you make to the State with this march? Coca: Bueno, hay un sinnúmero de demandas. Por ejemplo, la inserción del cupo laboral trans dentro del Código de Trabajo, las garantías y derechos para niñez y adolescencia, el acceso libre y gratuito de procesos de hormonización, los inhibidores para adolescencia trans, las garantías para adultas y adultos mayores trans, garantías para trabajadores sexuales […] Estas son las que más encabezaban esta necesidad de demandar al Estado.