Yucatán State: Give Julissa her kids back!

In an act of lesbophobia, the government of Mexico's Yucatán state took away Julissa's son and newborn baby.

In October, Julissa went to the General Agustin O’Horán Hospital in Mérida to finally take home her newborn daughter, Baby G. But a social worker conducted a socioeconomic background check on Julissa to determine how much she would have to pay for the hospital stay and medical care related to her pregnancy.

Julissa is a lesbian, a mother, and has a masculine expression of her gender identity. She works as a carpenter, plasterer and cleans homes and clears land prior to construction work.

During the interview, the social worker questioned Julissa about her appearance, sexual orientation and intentions to become a mother.

In Mexico, it is not a requirement to be heterosexual to be a mother!

Julissa moved to Yucatán from the nearby state of Quintana Roo, after suffering from gender-based violence. She’s lived in Mérida with her son for several years, but lives in poverty given the conditions she has had to go through.

When she went to the O'Horán Hospital for medical attention for her delivery, she never imagined that her life would take such a drastic turn that would not only prevent her from meeting her baby girl, but would also cause her to lose her son.

Since the day she gave birth, Julissa was deprived the right to stay with Baby G, because the social worker who conducted Julissa's interview decided that she was not fit to be a parent – because she was a lesbian and of limited economic resources.

The social worker asked Julissa invasive questions, like if she had a partner and why a lesbian would want children? What is she going to teach her children and how is she going to raise them?

The institutional violence committed by the Government of Yucatan, through the Agustin O'Horan General Hospital and PRODENNAY (DIF-Yucatan), on Julissa's family, her newborn baby girl and her 6-year-old son is reprehensible. Since when did being poor and lesbian become impediments to motherhood?

The fact that Julissa is a lesbian and poor is being criminalized.

Julissa's rights to parenting are being severely violated. The government is also violating the newborn's right to identity by denying her mother a birth certificate. Both the baby and the child have been denied their basic rights to a family and legal security, not to mention that both mother and daughter have been prevented from breastfeeding and establishing a secure attachment, which is fundamental in the first months of life.

Just a few weeks after the passage of marriage equality throughout Mexico, this case demonstrates that there is still much to be done to guarantee the human rights of the LGBTTTI+ population, as well as to strengthen the culture of non-discrimination among government officials.

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To LIC. MAURICIO VILA DOSAL, GOBERNADOR; L.A. MARÍA TERESA BOEHM CALERO, DIR. GRAL. DIF-YUCATÁN; ABOG. MARÍA DOLORES FRITZ SIERRA, SRIA GRAL DE GOB; MTRA. MARÍA CRISTINA CASTILLO ESPINOSA, SRIA DE LAS MUJERES; Local authorities and decision makers:

The authorities have the obligation to promote, respect, protect and guarantee human rights in accordance with the principles of universality, interdependence, indivisibility and progressiveness.

We condemn the discrimination and the arbitrary action exercised by the authorities against Julissa and her family because she is a lesbian living in poverty, alleging, without any evidence, an alleged violence by Julissa towards her son.

For the same reason, we categorically reject the statement of the DIF Yucatan in which they state that they have sheltered the children due to a situation of abuse, since not only is there no proof of this, but more than 50 of Julissa's neighbors have affirmed that she is a good mother and that there is no such abuse.

We publicly report that the mother was told that at the moment there is no assistance available from the civil registry of Yucatan, under the excuse that "there are no appointments", even though we know that the birth registration process does not require an appointment.

Julissa is not alone. There are thousands of lesbian mothers, feminist women, and everyday folks across the country who support her.

Igualdad Sustantiva Yucatán, the Network of Lesbian Mothers in Mexico and the Collective for the Protection of All Families in Yucatán, among others, request:

1. The reunification of the newborn and the son with their legitimate mother so that she may exercise the custody and guardianship accordingly.

2. A public apology for Julissa and her family, as well as the application of reparations and measures of compensation for damages by the government of Yucatán.

3. The dismissal of Teresita de Jesús Anguas Zapata, attorney of the Office of the Attorney General for the Protection of Children and Adolescents of Yucatán (PRODENNAY), who made the decision to separate this lesbomaternal family.

4. The removal from office of the social worker who initiated this investigation.

5. Measures to raise awareness of gender perspective and sexual diversity to all the workers of the General Hospital Agustín O'Horan and PRODENNAY (DIF-Yucatán).

We are waiting for the authorities to promptly review all the evidence that proves that Julissa is a responsible mother, non-violent and in complete readiness, capacity and right to raise her daughter and son. Likewise, we expect the prompt return of the children to their mother, so that this lesbo-maternal family can live in a dignified, peaceful, happy manner and in full enjoyment of their rights like any other.

Campaign started by Red de Madres Lesbianas en México
0people have signed
Goal: 20,000
Campaign started by Red de Madres Lesbianas en México

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