Diana Sacayán

Amancay Diana Sacayán was born in Tucumán on December 31, 1975. Her ancestors were Diaguita. At young age, her family moved to Gregorio de Laferrère, Buenos Aires. She led a life of poverty with her 15 siblings.

Diana Sacayán came out as transgender at the age of seventeen. Her human rights were violated several times since then. She was arrested different times and at jail she leaned towards the Communist party. However, on 2011 she left the party and Communist Party and created the Anti-Discrimination Movement of Liberation (MAL), a non-governmental organization. This organization was working against all forms of discrimination. They also emphasized on empowering LGBTI people in different sector including creating awareness for their human rights.

As the president of MAL, she was responsible for the project of non-discriminatory policies in the health institutions of La Matanza Partido. This project was aimed to include transgender and transsexual people in health system. She also worked for raising awareness between transgender and transsexual people for their rights. Her active contribution led the recognition of regulation for self-perceived gender identities by the State. It turned the main precedents of the National Gender Identity Law.[1] Sacayán served on the board of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and led the Antidiscrimination Liberation Movement in Argentina.[2] On 2012, as a first transgender, she ran for the Ombudsman from the La Matanza Party. She was able to be one of three finale candidates of that year. On the same year, she received her national identity card as a woman personally from the Former president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.[3]

• La gesta del nombre propio (2006), ISBN 9789871231119
• Cumbia, copeteo y lágrimas (2008), ISBN 9789871231799
• Blog de Movimiento Antidiscriminatorio de Liberación (M. A. L.)[4]

Diana was brutally murdered in October 2015.[2] Her murder incident generated a commotion and a high social impact, especially in the human rights movements and the LGBTI community.