From: International Gay Lesbian Human Rights Commission <[email-masked]>
Date: 18 Jun 94 17:18 PDT

Anti-Gay Violence in Sinaloa, Mexico

Activists from Tranvestis de Culiacan have documented a disturbing
pattern of violence against gay men and transvestites in the
Mexican State of Sinaloa. The violence includes a three year long
string of murders of gay men and transvestites, as well as
aggressive and nearly constant police harrassment. Although it
does not seem that the murders are being conducted by the same
persons, it does seem that taken together the long list of
incidents documented by Tranvestis de Culiacan represents an
escalating tide of intolerance that has created an atmosphere
where anti-gay violence is condoned and expected to go
unpunished.

Twelve gay men were killed in 1992 in the State of Sinaloa. The
majority of these crimes remain unsolved. Many of the victims were
severely beaten or stabbed repeatedly. In some cases the murders
were linked to robberies or extortion campaigns, but often there
was no readily identifiable motive for the crime. Although
Tranvestis de Culiacan report only one murder in 1993, the group
has already documented four murders during 1994.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
is concerned that these murders may in part be explained by the
atmosphere of heterosexist intolerance being whipped up by a
series of very public police raids against transvestite sex
workers. The frequent raids, often conducted on a weekly basis,
are rife with irregularities. Persons arrested are often subject
to detention without former charges or arrest records. While
detained transvestites face beatings, heavy fines, extortion,
sexual assault and even rape. The detentions are either
unreported, or covered in sensationalistic fashion by the press,
who consistently print the names and addresses of the detained
transvestites, occasionally with accompanying photos. The
newspaper stories are often peppered with disparaging adjectives
used to describe the victims of the raids.

IGLHRC has also been given credible evidence documenting a series
of raids on the private homes of transvestites. The raids are
conducted without appropriate arrest or serach warrants. The
language and attitude of the police officers suggest that the
raids are meant to harass the transvestites in retaliation for
their public protests over police misconduct.

Of further concern to IGLHRC is testimony that transvestites
detained by the police are sometimes subject to forced HIV
testing. In one especially troubling raid, fourteen transvestites
were detained for several days and forced to take HIV antibody
tests. They were never given the results.

Respectfully worded letters are needed making the following
points:

1. Acts of violence against lesbians and gays are best resisted
when governments utilize every resource at their disposal to bring
the perpetrators to justice. Unsolved murders only create an
atmosphere where violence against sexual minorities is implicitly
condoned. Local officials should do everything in there power to
bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice.

2. Prostitution can not be made to disappear with police crack
downs. Government officials should be engaging in open and frank
dialogue with sex workers in Sinaloa to find a more constructive
manner to balance the interests of the state and the sex workers.

3. Cross dressing is not illegal in Mexico and police harassment
of transvestites, based on an officer's personal distaste of cross
dressing is unacceptable. Being raped, extorted, beaten, and
sexually assaulted are not punishments that law enforcement
officers should ever take it upon themselves to summarily dole
out.

Write to:

Ing. Renato Vega Alvarado, Gobernador Constitutional de Sinaloa,
Unidad Administrativa, Av. de los Insurgentes y Aguilar Barraza
s/n, Centro Sinaloa   C.P. 80 129, Culiacan, Sinaloa, MEXICO; fax:
+52-67-14-44-01

Dr. Humberto Gomez Campana, Presidente Municipal de Culiacan,
Alvaro Obregon (e/ Juarez y Escobedo), C.P. 80 000, Culiacan,
Sinaloa, MEXICO; fax: +52-67-12-97-31

Lic. Jaime Cinco Soto, Presidente, Comision Estatal de Derechos
Humanos, Blvd. Leyva Solano 62 poniente, C.P. 80 020, Culiacan,
Sinaloa, MEXICO; fax: +52-67-16-08-58

Lic. Oscar Loza Ochoa, Presidente, Comision de defensa de los
Derechos Humanos en Sinaloa, Andrade 475 Norte Despacho 8, C.P. 80
000, Culiacan, Sinaloa, MEXICO; fax: 52-67-12-56-80