Jesús Ociel Baena, Mexico’s inaugural openly non-binary judiciary member and an influential LGBTQ+ activist, was found deceased at “their” residence in Aguascalientes alongside “their” partner.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unclear, with authorities uncertain whether it was a homicide or an accident.
The state attorney-general’s Office noted no evidence of a third party entering the premises, discovering a sharp object and hinting that it might have been a personal matter.
Letra S, an LGBTQ+ rights group, urged a thorough, unbiased investigation into the incident, citing Baena’s history of receiving hateful messages and threats due to their groundbreaking advocacy.
Alejandro Brito, the group’s director, highlighted Baena’s significant impact in breaking barriers for the non-binary community.
Baena, who used they/them pronouns, made history by becoming a magistrate in October 2022 and acquiring one of Latin America’s first gender-neutral passports in June.
Their advocacy centered on affirming their non-binary identity: “I am a non-binary person, I am not interested in seeing myself as a woman or a man. This is an identity, it is mine and for me, for no one else.”
In response to their tragic passing, LGBTQ+ activists in Mexico City held a vigil, vowing to carry forward Baena’s legacy.
As one activist expressed, “We must not let Ociel’s death pass in vain and we must carry on the legacy Ociel left us.”
Arturo Zaldivar, the former chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court, mourned Baena’s loss, acknowledging their significant voice in advocating for equality and the rights of the LGBTI+ community.
Source-BBC
