In April 2023, the Plataforma Ley Integral Trans Ya! surveyed 1,355 trans and nonbinary people from 27 territories across Colombia. The following month, a national conference held in Bogotá, brought together numerous activists to create the first official draft of the bill, which was revised and refined through legal labs and feedback sessions, ultimately resulting in 52 articles covering a range of topics, including rights to claim gender identity and self-determination; equal access to health, education, housing, and work; protection measures against gender violence; and efforts to promote social inclusion and political participation, among other provisions. 

The momentous nature of the bill gave rise to a day of celebration in downtown Bogotá that began with a riveting artistic performance by photographer and visual artist Camila Falquez. The performance was produced in collaboration with stylist Lorena Maza, queer writer César Vallejo, and Colombian activists from the Plataforma Ley Integral Trans and the Liga de Salud Trans.

On multiple occasions, Falquez and her team traveled to various towns and cities in Colombia, and photographed trans and nonbinary people to produce Compañerx, a multidisciplinary artistic initiative anchored to the Ley Integral Trans. The project honors trans and nonbinary people in Colombia by combining  the series of portraits with the aforementioned public performance, recently held in the Colombian capital on the occasion of the bill’s presentation before Congress. On the morning of the bill’s filing, a group of volunteers—including many of the people photographed by Falquez and her team—came together in Bogotá to participate in a procession of enormous silk banners printed with portraits from the Compañerx series alongside the articles of the Ley Integral Trans. 

At the helm of the procession stood Ceiba, a street performer playing the Colombian gaita, a native wind instrument, and La Poderosa, a bullerengue singer from Urabá, a region on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Both wore custom red ensembles made by stylist Maza. Behind them stood 50 performers in two parallel rows, also dressed in red vests crafted for the affair and styled to their liking, while proudly carrying the silk portraits in defiance of the hefty Bogotá wind.

“This is a historic moment for Colombia,” said Bicky Bohorquez, a Black trans woman from Palmira, Valle del Cauca, photographed by Falquez, who was an avid participant in the process of creating the bill. “Today, we can put aside the differences that we, trans people, have and fight for a common good: [the] Ley Integral Trans that includes the rights we need—because we are not asking for favors. These are the rights we need to have a dignified life.”

As the morning progressed, the group headed towards Plaza de Bolívar, attracting the attention of passersby with chants calling for trans resistance and a comprehensive trans law now! 

Upon reaching the city’s most iconic public square, where prominent protests usually take place, a red and circular structure designed by architect Sarai Olabarrieta served as a space to elevate the silk portraits. There, La Poderosa and Ceiba took to the stage with a song composed specifically for the event, and the performers surrounded the red structure in the center of the plaza with their banners, enacting a choreography that culminated in a minute of silence in memory of trans and nonbinary people who have passed away.

Jhonnatan Espinosa Rodríguez, a leader of the Platform, and the executive director of Fundación Ayllu Familias Transmasculinas, who was present at the performance, praised the bill’s final iteration for including the many voices that have been involved in this grassroots process. “I haven’t agreed with everything, but I’ve also been in a position to reach a consensus… We’ve learned a lot throughout this process. To recognize each other, to recognize each human being’s worth, but most of all, we’ve learned that nothing is more powerful than gathering,” he said. 

Indeed, the act of gathering for the performance itself represented a moment of empowerment and healing for many participants. In this regard, Nicolás Hernández Martínez, one of the volunteers who carried a banner, and came from Corozal, Sucre, a small town far away from Bogotá, described this as an extraordinary moment. “I never imagined something like this could happen,” he said. “I feel euphoric—it gives me hope to know that there are people like me in other places. It’s been great to meet people from all over the country and for them to know that there is someone, somewhere in a small town who also shares their dreams and struggles—it’s wonderful for me.”  

It’s a sentiment that was echoed by Andruw Riascos Quiñones, a 22-year-old volunteer from Bogotá. “I’m very excited to participate. I found out last year that I’m a trans guy—and I wanted to do this performance because there are many people who can’t do this sort of thing because of their families, or fear,” Quiñones said. “I want them to see that they don’t have to be afraid; that it’s a joy to be free.”  

Although the bill’s filing is merely the first step in a long legislative process that lies ahead, a sense of hope, excitement, and triumph was shared among all who attended the march. 

Moving forward, the bill must successfully navigate debates in both the House and Senate before being signed into law by the President. “A whole process of strong advocacy and lobbying will follow,” Salamanca said. “Our hopes and emotions will play a big role here because, as trans people, we are tired of being tired. We are tired of living in fear. We are tired of violence, but we haven’t let that stop us. We have sought creative ways to imagine a different world. And whatever happens with the Ley Integral Trans, we’ve already won.”