With the theme “Independence not Death”, the 4th Trans & Transvesti March was held in Rio de Janeiro this Saturday (22), in Arcos da Lapa. The objective is to call for an end to systematic violence in Brazil, considered the most lethal country in the world against trans and transvestites. 
General coordinator of the March, Gab Van. Photo: Felipe Martins/Disclosure
The march calls for support for organizations that fight, with few resources, to reverse this situation and demands the guarantee and expansion of rights for this population.
“Our bodies continue to be the target of the extreme right that denies our existence, financed with billion-dollar resources around the world,” said the general coordinator of the March, Gab Van.
Transsexual Karyn Cruz was one of the people who sought out the Rio Public Defender’s Office, located in Arcos da Lapa, to carry out civil rectification.
“It is spaces like these that give us prominence and affirm and reaffirm our insertion in society,” he said.
Actress Frida Resende attended the march to affirm her pride in being a transvestite woman. “The march is fundamental for our future. For us to continue existing. For a long time I had my existence repressed. Being on the march is affirming my freedom”, he celebrated.
Data from the Dossier “Murders and Violence against Brazilian Transvestites and Transsexuals in 2024”, from the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (Antra) indicates that the estimated lifespan of the trans population is just 35 years, while the national average is over 75 years.
The average age of murder victims in 2024 was 32 years old. The majority of victims, 78% were black and brown trans people and 49% were between 18 and 29 years old.
Services
In addition to the rectification of the civil name, carried out by the Public Defender’s Office, the state Department of Health, in partnership with the trans outpatient clinic at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, offered rapid testing services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), issuing free letters to obtain 2.a. copy of documents for marriages and stable unions.
