Dayling Ramírez, a 36-year-old Honduran trans woman in Mexico City, reflects on her daily struggles despite surviving gang persecution and abuses in an immigration station. “It’s hard for trans people to get hired. You survive as a stylist or prostitute, otherwise, there’s no work,” she says.
Mexico has become a major migration corridor. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded over 2 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023. Among this vast flow of migrants, LGBTQ individuals are increasingly visible.
“The visibility of LGBT migrants in transit through Mexico has grown,” notes Ana Guadarrama, coordinator of Mexico’s National Network of Support for LGBT Migrants and Refugees. She highlights a significant increase since 2013, notably after the formation of the first Trans Gay Migrant Caravan in 2017.
To support LGBTQ migrants, the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM) launched a campaign to raise funds for safe shelter, food, and transportation for 100 LGBTQ refugees or asylum-seekers in Mexico City. Activist Enrique Torre Molina explains, “Mexico is now a transit and destination country for many, including LGBTQ individuals seeking a safer life.”
The goal is to raise 400,000 Mexican pesos (about $21,670) to support these migrants for 30 days through various shelters and houses. Torre Molina emphasizes the compounded risks LGBTQ migrants face, including discrimination and violence.
Mexico has recorded 231 LGBTQ murders over the past three years, according to Letra S, an organization defending LGBTQ rights. These numbers likely underreport the actual violence due to underreporting and lack of media coverage.
A recent United Nations survey found that 56% of migrants crossing Mexico reported abuses, including robbery and physical threats. Kidnappings of migrants remain high, with 772 reported last year and 521 already this year, over half involving undocumented individuals.
LGBTQ migrants experience “triple vulnerability,” according to Dana Graber Ladek of the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). They face stigma for their sexual orientation or gender identity, as migrants, and for being undocumented.
One of the significant issues is the lack of data on LGBTQ migrants, making it challenging to address their needs effectively. “Understanding the statistics and characteristics of this population is crucial for creating relevant policies,” Graber Ladek states.
In response, organizations like the National Network of Support for LGBT Migrants and Refugees provide internal data to highlight the growing need. They assisted 150 LGBTQ migrants in 2021, 300 in 2022, and 368 in 2023, with 250 already helped this year.
Ramírez, who has endured numerous hardships, supports ORAM’s campaign. “This project will help people find safe places where they won’t be discriminated against. There are opportunities, but you have to fight for them. I hope others don’t go through what I did.”
