Transgender families in Colonia Newén 2019

Mothers, fathers and relatives in Colonia Newén 2019: From knowledge to learning, from learning to activism.

“I want to tell you something beautiful. While we were traveling, my 10-year-old daughter told me that she was very proud of my work and participation in the OTD Family Encounter Group (GEFF in Spanish). It made me cry with emotion and happiness.

The words correspond to a mother of a trans girl, who was touched, she told about it to the whatsapp group of parents, while she was traveling back after participating in the meeting “Trans Families, a common horizon” that took place in the Summer Colony “Newén”, in Las Cruces, V Region.

Seven days, from 21 to 28 January, when trans children and teenagers met with mothers, fathers and relatives. Seven days of learning and experiences, of sharing activities, games, free time and above all, pieces of life that, from simple everyday life, create transcendental conections and complicities.

Managed by OTD’s Family Encounter Group (GEFF), the initiative included the “Adventure-T” camp, a project sponsored by the U.S. Embassy that includes workshops and a camp for transgender children and a seminar focused on the topic.

Through the project “Trans Families, a Common Horizon”, the approval of Junaeb was obtained, which provided the bulk of the food along with a team of manipulators.

La Colonia Newén, where the meeting took place, belongs to the Domingo Villalobos Corporation, who generously opened their doors to receive, among children, youth and adults, almost 40 people, OTD’s trans families. The place has lodging, a large dining room and an extensive yard, where various activities were developed according to the calendar programmed by Aventure-T and the GEFF group, respectively.

Graphic workshops, film-forum, group dynamics such as “El Lazarillo” and “El Generómetro”, life testimonies, “Plasmarte” workshop, literary night, yoga of Laughter and an unforgettable visit to the Marine Research Center of the Catholic University were part of the recreation and reflection activities that were carried out, to culminate with a Diagnostic Workshop where we reflect on our difficulties, fears and achievements to think, and ultimately project how we continue opening the way with our children, how we are deconstructing the closet, also our own closet, allowing us in this new experience and intense week, continue to face the challenges that lie ahead. Also, we could realize that a space like Aventura-T is vital for our children to feel protected and free.

The last days were destined to the recreation. An exciting tournament of sports competitions with the joint participation of adults and children.

We also shared a dynamic “Talent Night” with brilliant performances, from the Pandora group doubles. Also,  a dad was singing a cappella to his trans daughter. We discovered a group of people with energizing choreographies, and moms who surprised us with singing skills, and what to say about the poet grandmothers who with two writings made us think and move us. A cueca  was danced by two 14-year-old experts, who left us for an instant without breath, just to be silent and to admire the situation.

In the last night, an act full of symbols, where the blindfolded mothers and fathers were guided by their trans children to the light of a bonfire, put the seal of transcendence and significance of a whole week of coexistence, experiences and affections. That each children removed the bandage from their parents and relatives opened a flood of feelings and words. The sense of being there was fulfilled… the sense of having always been… half blind, lost, until the voice of the children illuminates the way.

Traslation: Mariana Galvez y Lilly Parra.