Lead Photo: Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla
Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla
Anti-trans violence weighs heavier in the air than humidity for trans Puerto Ricans. In the stretch of a single year, seven of their brothers and sisters have been killed.
But just this month, Paolys Reyes became the first-ever trans woman to win one of the island’s beauty pageants, Miss Piel Canela Puerto Rico.
Another trans woman, Joanna Cifredo, hopes to boost her community organizing and human rights work by winning the 17th annual Miss Queen International–the world’s biggest pageant for transgender women–later this year. She’s been officially selected to represent the island.