Guatemala: Murders of transgender/transvestite people on the rise

Two transvestite sex workers were shot dead in Guatemala City on Wednesday -- right in the middle of the day, in the street, outside of a bar. Violence against transgendered and transvestite people is on the rise here, in a country with an overall muder rate nearly ten times as high as the USA. One teenage, transgendered sex worker was shot dead two months ago in the capital, her tongue reportedly cut out by the gang member whose sexual advances she refused. Snip from Reuters story:

Police are rarely interested in finding the killers of transvestites and are sometimes involved themselves, gay rights activists say.

In December last year, Juan Pablo Mendez, or Paulina, was killed and another transgender prostitute was wounded by three people witnesses identified as uniformed police officers.

"The general level of violence in Guatemala has increased exponentially over the past few years with most crimes going unpunished," said Sebastian Elegueta, a Central America researcher for Amnesty International.

"But it's the most vulnerable groups in society, like women, sex workers or transgender people, that are targeted first and those that are afforded the least amount of protection from the state," he said.

Oasis Director Jorge Lopez said transsexuals are particularly at risk because the majority work as prostitutes, trawling the dangerous streets of Guatemala's old city in short mini-skirts, wigs and platform heels.

"Transgender people end up in sex work because they've been kicked out of their homes, their schools, their jobs," said Lopez. "The only options left for them to make a living is prostitution or working in a hair salon."

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