By Dido Polo Monterrosa |
Bogotá (EFE).- Representing and making visible the voices of transsexual women in poetry is the mission that Flor Bárcenas has assumed since the publication of her book “Blamidos de agua dulce”, in which she explores her “blackness” and “trans identity”. ”, while challenging the expectations of a literary canon that does not expect the “flowering” of this collective in letters.
In “Blamidos de agua dulce” (Beetle, 2020), the poet converses with the Sinú River, whose waters meander through the city of Montería, in the Colombian Caribbean; In her work, the river acquires a life of its own and becomes a central character that, with each current, carries with it the cries of death and violence that devastate trans women in that city.
Through her verses, the author captures some “terrifying experiences”, but also the resilience and struggle that these women experienced more than 40 years ago: “Fearing arrest and torture by the Police, the trans women who exercised prostitution at the time (…) they preferred to throw themselves into the Sinú river”.
“Telling these life experiences from a transvestite voice, which is my political proposal, is to control the narrative of what is said about us,” Bárcenas emphatically declares to EFE, who assures that they have historically been interpreted by cisgender, heterosexual and white people. that “end up perpetuating what it means to be trans.”
Poetry in “transvestite key”
According to the poet, her “political proposal” allows her to assume dominance of the narrative around trans women, which has been relegated to the field of marginalization, suffering and sex work: “It seems unfair to me” and, instead , advocates claiming new perspectives of “being a transvestite”.
“The ‘travesti key’ tries to position the life experience of a black trans woman in poetry,” explains the 25-year-old writer, who assures that this inclusion “does not usually happen in literature” because “the literary canon is racist and transphobic.”
In this context, Bárcenas recognizes that these experiences are becoming a highly lucrative niche today. Despite this, the author highlights that the recognition and appreciation of her words and literary works are the biggest obstacle she has had to face.
Writing that opens horizons
The family context and the conservative environment in which the poet grew up “were not prepared to understand and accept” her identity, which generated oppressive and prejudiced views towards her person and her body.
For this reason, the Colombian woman found, from an early age, an intimate and safe refuge in writing that allowed her to express her sensations, experiences and give voice to her body in transit that she describes, metaphorically, as “blossoming”.
Writing also made him aware of the power of the word and poetic expression; it was a tool that allowed her to forge another future, moving away from the limiting stereotypes that society assigns to trans people such as “prostitution, the hairdresser or the street”.
“Poetry saved me because I was able to find another destination for myself,” explains Bárcenas, who points out that it does not seem negative to him that they are prostitutes or hairdressers, but rather that “it is the only thing that society wants us to be.”
Trans dignity and permanent recognition
Regarding the International LGBTI Pride Day, which is celebrated on June 28, Bárcenas highlights that “dignifying trans lives goes beyond a temporary celebration and requires structural changes in various areas.”
The activist emphasizes the importance of hiring trans people and providing spaces for them on an ongoing basis: “True inclusion implies taking trans people into account all the time, which would provide them with much-needed economic stability in their lives because they still face obstacles to access jobs, cultural and academic spaces that are not designed with their inclusion in mind”.
The Monterian woman points out that during this celebration it is perceived as “the trans quota” and reflects on how many institutions exploit the image of trans people instead of offering them genuine participation.
Although it causes her conflict, she also recognizes that this situation can be an opportunity to open the way for other trans women and broaden their representation in various scenarios.
Flor would like her transvestite sisters and society to remember her “as a transvestite who was able to transform her reality and open new horizons for other women.”