Fabricio Chicas is well aware of the routine. Whenever he presents his ID, the person on the other side of the counter scrutinizes him with suspicion and questions why he possesses a document that identifies him as female. Whether it’s a bank, hospital, or human resources office, the 49-year-old Salvadoran transgender man provides the same response: he has been unable to change his name and gender on his ID. Unfortunately, Chicas’ predicament is not unique in El Salvador, a country where Catholicism and evangelicalism hold significant influence, abortion is prohibited, and the legalization of same-sex marriage is unlikely in the near future. In 2022, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that the inability to change one’s name due to gender identity constitutes discriminatory treatment and ordered the National Assembly to enact a reform that simplifies the process. However, the deadline has passed, and lawmakers have failed to comply, which Cristian González Cabrera, a Human Rights Watch LGBTQ rights researcher, sees as part of a broader pattern of undermining the rule of law and judicial autonomy.
Cabrera also believes that since President Nayib Bukele’s party won a supermajority in the Assembly after the 2021 elections, democratic institutions have come under attack from him and his supporters.
In recent years, two transgender individuals sought legal name and gender changes. Despite winning their cases, municipal employees refused to comply with the court ruling and appealed to the Supreme Court, leaving the plaintiffs uncertain about the outcome.
Chicas’ childhood was marked by his mother’s initial acceptance of his masculine identity, only to later force him into feminine clothing for fear of his safety. This caused him to feel depressed and contemplate suicide. At 15, he was advised by a transgender man to start his physical transformation, which led to a hospitalization due to complications. Despite his mother’s opposition, Chicas vowed to leave and pursue his own path.
According to Mónica Linares, a transgender activist at ASPIDH Arcoiris Trans, lack of support from family is often the biggest early challenge during one’s transition. Linares, who left home at 14 to begin her transition, advocates for LGBTQ rights alongside other organizations in El Salvador. Unfortunately, many transgender citizens of the country face difficulties in their daily lives, such as being denied basic services or employment, due to inconsistent gender identities on their official documents.
Additionally, the issue of discrimination against transgender people reaches into the realm of religion, as churches such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept sexual diversity. Even with the support of individuals like Chicas, who creates a family out of those who accept and care for him, trans people in El Salvador still face violence and discrimination. While other Latin American countries have laws in place that allow for protection of LGBTQ rights, El Salvador has faced setbacks under President Bukele’s administration, including the dissolution of the Ministry for Social Inclusion and the restructure of educational institutes addressing sexual orientation in schools. Despite organizations advocating for change, there are still those who hold socially conservative views and reject the alteration of legislation.
Meanwhile, the level of impunity regarding violence against trans women is deep and pervasive, with many state officials operating without accountability. Overall, the struggle for acceptance and equal rights for transgender individuals in El Salvador persists.