Born: 1975 (Tucumán, Argentina)
Died: 2015
Biography:
Diana Sacayán (31 December 1975 – 11 October 2015) was an Argentinian LGBT activist who dedicated her life to fighting for the legal rights of transgender people in Argentina.
Amancay Diana Sacayán was born on 31 December 1975 in Tucumán, Argentina. Her ancestors were Diaguita, an indigenous group in Argentina. At a young age, her family moved to Gregorio de Laferrère, Buenos Aires, where she grew up in poverty with her 15 siblings.
Diana came out as transgender at the age of seventeen, and from that moment on, she experienced numerous violations of her human rights. She faced arrests on multiple occasions and was even imprisoned. During her time in jail, she became politically active and leaned towards the Communist Party. However, in 2011, she decided to leave the Communist Party and establish the Anti-Discrimination Movement of Liberation (MAL), a non-governmental organization aimed at fighting against all forms of discrimination.
As the president of MAL, Diana spearheaded various projects to empower LGBTI individuals and raise awareness about their human rights. One of her notable achievements was advocating for non-discriminatory policies in the health institutions of La Matanza Partido. Through this project, Diana sought to include transgender and transsexual people in the healthcare system, ensuring they received the necessary support and care. In addition to her activism in the healthcare sector, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness among transgender and transsexual individuals about their rights.
Diana’s active contributions played a crucial role in the recognition of regulation for self-perceived gender identities by the State, which set the foundation for the National Gender Identity Law. This achievement marked a significant step forward in granting transgender individuals legal recognition and protection in Argentina.
Besides her work in Argentina, Diana served on the board of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, contributing to the global advocacy for LGBTI rights. In 2012, she made history by becoming the first transgender candidate to run for the position of Ombudsman of La Matanza Partido. Her campaign saw tremendous support, and she emerged as one of the three most-voted candidates in the election. That same year, Diana received her national identity card as a woman directly from the former president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, symbolizing a significant milestone for transgender rights in the country.
Tragically, Diana’s life was cut short on 11 October 2015 when she was brutally murdered. The incident shocked and deeply impacted the human rights movements and the LGBTQ+ community in Argentina. The perpetrator, Gabriel David Marino, was eventually sentenced to life in prison in 2018. This landmark ruling recognized the murder as a hate crime against the travesti identity, known as travesticide or transvesticide (Spanish: travesticidio; a portmanteau of travesti and homicide). The decision was widely celebrated by LGBT activists and was viewed as a testament to the ongoing social changes taking place in Argentina.
Diana Sacayán’s legacy continues to inspire and serve as a symbol of resilience and determination in the fight for transgender rights. Her unwavering commitment to equality and justice has left an indelible mark on Argentina’s history and the broader movement for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.