Road to Trans

Introdution

“Nuestra existencia es resistencia. Our existence is resistance.”

Cali, Colombia, is filled with all kinds of murals. Among them, the one at the end of this street caught my attention the most.

I had the opportunity to visit the city for a work trip, and before going, I looked into the local LGBTQ+ culture. I learned that in Colombia, adults can legally change the gender marker on their identity documents, and there is also a non-binary option. Yet violent killings still occurred as recently as last year.

That hostility still exists today. Beyond the protection of the law, society itself still needs to change through long-term resistance, education, marches, and advocacy.

The murals on the streets of Cali, as well as this competition, both seek to promote transgender rights. “Trans” means crossing, transforming, breaking boundaries, and resisting the hostility of the world. I hope that one day we can truly move toward a world that embraces diversity.

Comment From the Judge :
Victoria Hsu

Through its depiction of a street mural in Cali, Colombia, this photograph highlights the international and ever-present nature of transgender lives.

Murals in public spaces are part of the urban landscape. They break through the boundaries of exhibition spaces and bring social issues into everyday life.

The artist turns their attention to Latin American society. On one hand, the work highlights the global nature of LGBTQ+ issues; on the other, it captures the history of local struggles in Latin America. The wall at the end of the street becomes a stage declaring the existence of transgender people.

This is not simply a photograph of a street scene, but also a deep dialogue with social reality. Even when transgender identities are recognized by law, hostility and violence outside the legal system still exist.

The phrase “Nuestra existencia es resistencia” (“Our existence is resistance”) mentioned in the artist’s statement is a powerful note. Without a doubt, the artist’s act of seeing and photographing allows this “existence and resistance” to continue.