Thousands March in Mexico City Demanding Justice for LGBTQ+ Figure Jesús Ociel Baena Found Dead at Home

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : Thousands Rally in Mexico City Demanding Justice for Slain LGBTQ+ Figure

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Protesters took to the streets of Mexico’s capital on Monday night, demanding justice for Jesús Ociel Baena, a prominent LGBTQ+ advocate who was found dead at home in the central city of Aguascalientes after receiving death threats.

Baena, who made history as the first openly nonbinary person to assume a judicial post in Mexico, served as a magistrate in the Aguascalientes state electoral court and broke down barriers in a country where LGBTQ+ individuals are often targeted with violence.

The state prosecutor’s office confirmed that Baena was discovered dead on Monday morning next to another individual, identified by local media and LGBTQ+ rights groups as Baena’s partner, Dorian Herrera. State prosecutor Jesús Figueroa Ortega stated in a press conference that both individuals had injuries consistent with a knife or sharp object.

“There are no signs or indications to be able to determine that a third person other than the dead was at the site of the crime,” Figueroa Ortega said.

The suggestion that the deaths may have been the result of suicide quickly drew outrage from LGBTQ+ groups, who viewed it as another attempt by authorities to dismiss violence against their communities. People who knew Baena stated that the magistrate had been in high spirits in recent weeks and spoke passionately about the future.

Federal Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez stated during a briefing that authorities were investigating the deaths and that it remained unclear whether “it was a homicide or an accident.” It is worth noting that some homicides in Mexico have been swiftly downplayed by authorities as crimes of passion.

Alejandro Brito, director of the LGBTQ+ rights group Letra S, emphasized that Baena’s visibility on social media made the magistrate a target, urging authorities to consider this in 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. “The magistrate was breaking through the invisible barriers that closed in the nonbinary community.”

Thousands of people gathered in the heart of Mexico City, lighting candles and displaying photos of Baena and other victims of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. They chanted “Justice” and “We won’t stay silent,” demanding a thorough investigation into the deaths.

Nish López, who publicly came out as nonbinary in March, was among the protesters. López drew inspiration from Baena’s activism and stated, “I loved them because they made people uncomfortable, but they knew what they were doing. Through institutions, they showed that you can inspire change regardless of your gender identity.”

Baena made history in October 2022 when they became a magistrate, believed to be the first nonbinary person in Latin America to assume a judicial position. They achieved another milestone in May when Mexico issued its first passports listing holders as nonbinary.

Baena frequently appeared in photos and videos on social media, wearing skirts and heels and using a rainbow fan in court offices. They advocated on various social media platforms, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers.

“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,” Baena posted on X (formerly Twitter) in June.

While Mexico has made significant strides in reducing anti-LGBTQ+ violence, Letra S documented at least 117 cases of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals being killed. Many of these cases involved brutal stabbings and public slayings.

The National Observatory of Hate Crimes Against LGBTI+ Persons in Mexico recorded 305 violent hate crimes against sexual minorities between 2019 and 2022, including murder and disappearances.

Brito expressed concerns that Baena’s death could lead to further violence against LGBTQ+ people.

“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 intimidation, to say: ‘This is what could happen to you if you make your identities public.'”

However, for López, a nonbinary Mexican who joined the masses on Monday night, fear was not the prevailing feeling. Instead, they were determined to carry on Baena’s legacy.

“I’m not scared, I’m angry,” López said. “I’m here to make myself visible.”

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By MEGAN JANETSKY.