The President of Mexico has issued an apology to a transgender legislator from his own party for referring to her as “a man dressed as a woman” and using that terminology.
Salma Luévano and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 70, were seen exchanging cheek kisses when they first met over the weekend at a public event.
When questioned by reporters later about the exchange, the Mexican President responded, “I even kiss men.”
In Mexican tradition, cheek kisses between men and women are common in everyday interactions but less so in formal or professional settings.
The 55-year-old legislator, one of the first transgender individuals to hold a federal lawmaker position, was then described by Mr. López Obrador as “a man dressed as a woman.”
Friends and members of Mexico’s transgender community have called on the President to publicly apologize for misgendering Ms. Luévano, a member of his left-wing Morena party.
In response, Mr. López Obrador stated, “I want to… offer an apology to a colleague who identifies as female.”
“If I were to express my opinion on this matter, it would be because I believe that love is supreme and transcends gender. It’s similar to freedom,” he continued.
Following the apology, Ms. Luévano acknowledged it and called it “very important,” stating, “I am a woman, and that should not be up for debate.”
Gabriel Quadri de la Torre, a Mexican senator, referred to Ms. Luévano as “sir” in 2022 and made comments that led to the incident, stating, “Trans people are men who believe they are women.”
An electoral court subsequently ordered him to attend a course on gender-based violence.
Ms. Luévano, who was elected to Congress in 2021, has previously spoken about how her gender identity has made her a target for daily threats and discrimination.
“We have set a significant precedent, not only in Mexico but also internationally,” she declared upon her election. “In reality, it requires significant determination.”
According to a study by the Observatory of Murdered Trans Citizens, an LGBT rights organization, Mexico ranks as the second-deadliest country in the world for transgender individuals, following Brazil.
Between 2008 and 2022, the country witnessed nearly 650 murders of transgender individuals.
