Argentine, trans woman, activist, humanitarian, sex worker, filmmaker, and politician. Mónica León is one of (if not THE) the pioneers of the Argentine transgender community. She has been a part of creating, establishing, and maintaining three of the most prominent Transgender and LGB organizations in Argentina. In 1991 she founded Argentine Transvestite Association (Asociación de Travestis Argentinas – ATA), which according to Trans Secretariat's Timeline of Latin America & the Caribbean, state that ATA separeted in two groups: Organization of Transvestites and Transexuals of Argentina Republic (Organización de Travestis y Transexuales de la República Argentina – OTTRA) and Association for the Transvestite and Transexual Identity (Asociación de Lucha por la Identidad Travesti y Transexual – ALITT). All of which León was a member.
She's created a documentary called Hotel Gondolín which shares the struggle and accomplishments of several transgender sex workers in Argentina who live together in a vacant hotel in a very communal/socialist environment. More information about the film states:
Most of the girls here make it plain that 'sex worker' is not their first career choice, but the only possibility allowed them in Argentinian society…but the mood remains upbeat as Monica, the self-proclaimed leader of these feisty women, dons a black bustier and heads up the protest march against a law targeting the only profession they've been allowed to hold. By creating a safe haven for themselves, the women have begun to orchestrate a greater social change.
I tried to find a trailer or a short bit of this documentary but found what seems to be parts of other documentaries about Hotel Gondolín and since I can't confirm they are from the film Mónica León is a part of I chose not to post it at this time (if you know of where I can find a trailer please let me know!).
foto credit: commons.wikimedia.org
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