In a significant turn of events, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a public apology for misgendering Salma Luevano, a transgender representative and one of the first trans federal lawmakers in Mexico. This apology came in the wake of considerable criticism from rights groups and the LGBT+ community.
The incident occurred after Lopez Obrador’s weekend meeting with Luevano. He later described her as a “man dressed as a woman” during a press conference, a comment that quickly ignited backlash on social media platforms. His initial remarks were seen as a significant misstep in addressing gender identity, particularly involving a prominent figure from his own political party, Morena.
Solidarity from the LGBT+ Community
The LGBT+ community in Mexico rallied in support of Luevano, emphasizing the need for respectful recognition of gender identity. This collective call for accountability led to the president’s subsequent acknowledgement of his error in a daily press conference. “I want to… offer an apology to a colleague who identifies as a woman,” stated Lopez Obrador, marking a pivotal moment in the public discourse surrounding transgender rights in Mexico.
Luevano later expressed the significance of this apology on social media. “This statement is very important because it makes visible a fight that has taken us decades. I am a woman… and that is not up for discussion,” she affirmed, highlighting the broader implications of such acknowledgments in the struggle for transgender rights.