Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 13:05:29 -0800 (PST) From: Rex Wockner Subject: MEXICAN DRAGS FACE VIOLENT OPPRESSION ******************************************************** * Copyright (c) 1995 Rex Wockner. All rights reserved. * **************************************************************** * ACCENT MARKS: e in Mexico, second a in Culiacan, e in Jose, * * third a in Mazatlan, o in Leon, e in communique, i in Garcia * **************************************************************** CONFAB REPORT: MEXICAN DRAGS FACE VIOLENT OPPRESSION by Rex Wockner TIJUANA, Mexico -- A presentation by the Transvestite Group of Culiacan was the highlight of the Third Gathering of Gays and Lesbians from Northern Mexico Feb. 25 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, reports Tijuana activist Alejandro Garcia. Culiacan is 989 miles southeast of Tijuana. Tijuana gay leader Jose Navarro also attended the gathering. "Jorge Castillo informed us about his four years of work with the transvestite group," Garcia said. "He said transvestites are the most- discriminated-against group in society, including from other gays. They also have problems with the police and can't keep stable jobs. Therefore, many work in prostitution. The police don't care about them. When transvestites are murdered, the police don't care. The concept of a hate crime doesn't exist in Mexico, even though we have more of them than the U.S. The presentation on the work by the members of this group was very moving." The conference was hosted by the Culiacan Gay Group and attracted representatives of the Sinaloa State Human Rights Commission and the State AIDS Committee, COESIDA. Delegates issued a communique at the conference's end calling on the Mexican army to leave the troubled southern state of Chiapas (where indigenous peoples have been in rebellion for 15 months), for an end to repression of transvestites, and for news vendors in Sinaloa to stock gay magazines. Mexico's main gay magazines, published in Mexico City, are available throughout the country but not in Sinaloa state, which includes the resort of Mazatlan, Garcia said. The conference also sent a letter to El Mexicano newspaper, published in Mexicali, 115 miles east of Tijuana, protesting an article that said gays take advantage of carnival celebrations to promote immorality and degenerateness. Next year's gathering will be in either La Paz, Baja California Sur, or Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. -- END --