A Mendoza family winery launched a line of wines for the benefit of Mocha Celis, the first trans school in the world, with the aim of promoting the educational development of this group and for this purpose it will allocate a percentage of sales.
“This action is an example of how the different actors in society can join forces for the common good, in favor of coexistence, access to rights and equal opportunities and conditions for all transvestites, trans and non-binary people”stressed Manu Mireles, from the Mocha Celis Civil Association.
Likewise, Mireles highlighted the importance of the private sector promoting this type of initiative: “The companies that lead and grow are those that also get involved and position themselves, in this case, in favor of the rights of transvestites, trans and non-binary”.
“They generate a favorable effect on other companies so that they decide to contribute from their place to improve the quality of life, education and access to all the rights of all people,” he added.
Mocha Celis was a transvestite from Tucumán who worked in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Flores; and she was murdered in a situation not yet clarified; she did not know how to read or write and she died without finishing school; and, in her memory and in that of Lohana Berkins, also deceased and a trans activist, in 2011 the Popular Travesti-Trans High School was created.
“La Mocha”, with more than a hundred students each year, between 16 and 60 years old, is a non-exclusive school that is also attended by non-trans people (Afro-descendants, migrants, single mothers) and inspired similar programs in Tucumán, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Chile; and promotes job placement with workshops.
It is the Mendoza winery Corbeau Wines and the launched line is called Mad Bird Art.
“Education is the foundation of any society, and the trans community is one of the most vulnerable within the LGBTI+ spectrum, the one with the fewest rights and the fewest chances of finishing their studies,” said Francisco Rodríguez, from Corbeau Wines, who added: “We want the trans community to have more opportunities and that, in the short and medium term, real sources of work are generated for this group.”
The labels were designed by Tomi Mantis and Melo Riedel, two trans artists, drawing inspiration from their own experiences, challenges and visions.
“The interesting thing about the approach proposed by the winery is that they not only looked for trans people or those who belonged to the Lgbtiq+ communitybut in addition to that they selected us for our quality as artists,” Riedel said.
In that sense, Mantis, a native of Marcos Paz, illustrator and literature student, added: “I think it is very well thought out to take advantage of the fact that wine is the most consumed drink in Argentina to carry that message of inclusion and diversity.”
For his contribution to society, This campaign has the support of the Wine District and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires; and is sponsored by the theater director and playwright Pepe Cibrián Campoy.
Last year, the winery founded by the Rodríguez Family showed its commitment to this type of action with “Wine is love”, a limited edition of the Mad Bird line in support of diversity.
