Prominent LGBTQ+ Activist Jesús Ociel Baena Found Dead at Home in Mexico

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Mexico Mourns Death of LGBTQ+ Activist and Non-Binary Magistrate

Mexico was left in shock and mourning after Jesús Ociel Baena, the country’s first openly non-binary magistrate and a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, was found dead at their home in the central state of Aguascalientes. Baena, who used they/them pronouns, was celebrated across Latin America for their tireless work to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

The cause of Baena’s death is still under investigation, according to Mexico’s security minister, Rosa Icela Rodríguez. “We don’t know yet … if it was a homicide or if it was some kind of accident,” she said during the president’s regular morning press conference. However, human rights activists have raised concerns about the authorities’ historical dismissal of murders as crimes of passion and are calling for a thorough investigation into whether Baena’s death was related to their gender identity.

Alejandro Brito, director of the LGBTQ+ rights group Letra S, emphasized that Baena had been a target of hate messages and threats of violence and death, given their visibility on social media. Brito urged the authorities to take this context into consideration during their investigation. “They were a person who received many hate messages, and even threats of violence and death, and you can’t ignore that in these investigations,” Brito said. “They, the magistrate, were breaking through the invisible barriers that closed in the nonbinary community.”

Baena’s visibility and advocacy made them one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ figures in Mexico, a country where queer communities often face violent targeting. Prior to their death, Baena had already received death threats. In October 2022, Baena made history by being sworn in as a magistrate on the Aguascalientes state electoral tribunal, proudly standing in front of the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag, as shared on Twitter/X with the caption “Making history.”

The Aguascalientes state prosecutor’s office released a statement revealing that Baena’s body was found alongside another person, identified by local media as Baena’s partner. Preliminary findings indicated no evidence of a third party at the scene, suggesting that the deaths could be a “personal matter.” However, authorities are conducting a forensic analysis to determine the exact cause of death.

Baena’s social media presence was characterized by photos and videos of themselves in skirts, heels, and proudly displaying a rainbow fan in court offices. Their advocacy extended to various social media platforms, where they had amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. In a tweet, Baena expressed their identity as a non-binary person and emphasized that their identity belonged to them alone. “I am a non-binary 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,” Baena posted on Twitter/X in June. “Accept it.”

Just weeks before their tragic death, Baena was presented with a certificate by the electoral court, recognizing them with gender-neutral pronouns as a “maestre.” This acknowledgment marked a significant step forward in a language like Spanish, which historically splits words between the male and female genders.

While Mexico has made progress in reducing anti-LGBTQ+ violence in recent decades, LGBTQ+ rights organizations have documented an increase in such violence. In 2019 alone, at least 117 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals were killed in the country, often in brutal and public ways. Alejandro Brito expressed concerns that Baena’s death could provoke further acts of violence against queer communities, emphasizing that crimes motivated by prejudice aim to send a message of intimidation.

In honor of Baena, LGBTQ+ activists are planning vigils and demonstrations in Aguascalientes, Mexico City, Monterrey, and other major cities. The news of Baena’s tragic passing has deeply impacted Mexico’s LGBTQ+ community and its allies, leaving behind a void and a collective determination to continue fighting for equality and the rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation..