Kimi Avalos is a young transgender woman who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Because of stigma and discrimination, she couldn’t continue with her studies and complete high school. She says that she experienced bullying and harassment; her classmates insulted and physically assaulted her, under the indifferent eye of her teachers. “I really wanted to learn, but I had to drop out of school. Now, thanks to the Transgender House, my dream of finishing high school will soon come true,” said Ms Avalos.

Ms Avalos is one of 30 transgender students who recently started a new educational programme through which they can study for primary and secondary school diplomas by attending a combination of face-to-face and virtual classes. This innovative project is implemented in the Transgender House, a community centre for training and empowerment of transgender people founded in Buenos Aires in June 2017 by Marcela Romero, Coordinator of ATTTA (Association of Argentinian Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgender) in collaboration with the City Council of Buenos Aires.

“To have this house has meant that as transgender people, we can come out from the darkness. The centre is in a visible space, on one of the main streets of Buenos Aires, in the San Cristóbal neighbourhood. This is our achievement; it shows that we exist as a community and that we have the right to a space like any other organization,” explains Ms Romero. Read more via UNAIDS