Mexican LGBTQ Figure Jesús Ociel Baena Found Dead at Home After Receiving Death Threats

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : Mexico City: Tragic Death of Mexico’s First Openly Nonbinary Judicial Official Sparks Outrage and Concern for LGBTQ Community

Mexico City was left in shock and mourning on Monday after the lifeless bodies of Jesús Ociel Baena, the country’s first openly nonbinary person to hold a judicial position, and their partner were discovered in their home in the central Mexican city of Aguascalientes. The couple had been subjected to death threats due to their gender identity, according to authorities.

The Aguascalientes state prosecutor’s office confirmed the deaths and revealed that both victims displayed injuries that appeared to be caused by a knife or another sharp object. State prosecutor Jesús Figueroa Ortega addressed the media at a press conference and stated that there were no signs of a third person at the crime scene.

Authorities are currently investigating the tragic incident, and Mexico’s Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez expressed uncertainty regarding whether the deaths were a result of homicide or an accident. It is worth noting that some murder investigations in Mexico have historically been quickly dismissed by authorities as crimes of passion, raising concerns about the thoroughness of the investigation.

Jesús Ociel Baena, who was known for their activism and visibility on social media, had become a target for hate messages and threats of violence and death. Alejandro Brito, director of the LGBTQ rights group Letra S, emphasized the importance of considering this context during the investigation, stating, “You can’t ignore that in these investigations. They, the magistrate, was breaking through the invisible barriers that closed in the nonbinary community.”

Baena’s appointment as a magistrate for the Aguascalientes state electoral court in October 2022 marked a historic moment for LGBTQ representation in Latin America. They were believed to be the first openly nonbinary person in the region to assume a judicial position. Additionally, Baena had recently made headlines when they were issued Mexico’s first nonbinary passport.

With hundreds of thousands of followers on social media platforms, Baena used their platform to advocate for LGBTQ rights and regularly posted photos and videos of themselves in skirts and heels, challenging societal norms and expectations. In a tweet in June, Baena wrote, “I am a nonbinary person, I am not interested in being seen as either a woman or a man. This is an identity. It is mine, for me, and nobody else. Accept it.”

While progress has been made in reducing anti-LGBTQ violence in Mexico, Alejandro Brito expressed concern about the potential consequences of Baena’s tragic death. In 2019, Letra S documented at least 117 instances of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the country, many of which were brutal and public killings. Brito fears that Baena’s death could incite further acts of violence against the queer community.

“If this was a crime motivated by prejudice, these kinds of crimes always have the intention of sending a message,” Brito said. “The message is an intimidation, it’s to say: ‘This is what could happen to you if you make your identities public.'”

The tragic loss of Jesús Ociel Baena has sparked outrage and renewed calls for justice and protection for Mexico’s LGBTQ community. As investigations continue, it remains crucial for authorities to prioritize a thorough and unbiased examination of the evidence, taking into account the potential hate-based motivation behind this devastating crime..