Silke Jasso
A man in Ecuador decided to legally change his gender from male to female in a bid to win custody rights of his daughters. The move has now caused several transgender and LGBTQ activist groups to speak out.
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47-year-old Rene Salinas Ramos spoke with local media saying that he doesn’t identify as a woman, and the change has nothing to do with his sexuality. But Ecuadorian laws prefer mothers over fathers when it comes to getting custody of children.
“The laws say that the one who has the right is the woman. As of this moment, I am female. Now I’m also a mom, that’s how I consider myself,” Ramos stated .“I am very sure of my sexuality. What I have sought is that I want to be a mother, so that I can also give the love and protection of a mother.”
Rene Salinas Ramos Speaks Out
The father claimed that his daughters are living in an abusive environment with their mom, saying that he hasn’t seen them for over five months. “Being a father in this country, Ecuador, is punished and I’m only seen as a provider,” he noted.
As expected, several LGBTQ activists condemned the move saying that this stance was against the law that was created in order to protect transgender rights. They also believe that although the father’s moves can’t come at a desperate time for his children, it doesn’t help the case except for the publicity that he has now received.
“This man’s private matter, to obtain custody of his daughters, isn’t the spirit of the law,” stated Diane Rodríguez. Rodriguez is one of Ecuador’s most prominent trans activists as well as the country’s first trans-Assembly person.
The Ecuadorian Federal Organization LGBTI released a statement that denounced the change of the man. After the backlash, Ramos stated that his decision wasn’t against a person, and wasn’t intended to harm anyone. It was “ but rather to fight against this system that has stigmatized the fact of being born a man.”
