Couple prepare to become the first trans parents in South America
A trans couple from Ecuador are set to make history when they become parents next year.
Diane Rodriguez – a prominent LGBT-activist – recently shared the exciting news that her boyfriend Fernando Machado is pregnant with their son.
Ms Rodriguez and Mr Machado – who have been a couple since 2013 – believe their first pregnancy is the first of its kind in South America.
The couple announced their pregnancy online, announcing that Mr Machado is now four months pregnant.
“This was the wish of both of us and there was nothing biological or legal to stop us, so we decided to do it,” Ms Rodriguez told local media.
“We live as man and woman. I’m a transfeminine woman and Fernando is a transmasculine man.
“The process to get here was complex for each of us,” she added.
“Knowing it’s our right, we decided to add another member to our family.”
Ms Rodriguez first made headlines in her native country in 2013, when she became the he first Ecuadorian trans candidate to run for Congress.
She has previously campaigned for trans rights across South America, after recounting her own struggles after she came out.
The advocate says she was shunned by her family, before being thrown out and forced to live on the streets.
Luckily, the pair have the full support of Mr Machado’s family, as well as the thousands of well-wishers who have congratulated the pair online.
The news follows a recent study that showed trans women in Latin America have a life expectancy of just 35 years old.
Research into the Violence Registry revealed that 80% of trans women murdered in Latin America are in their mid-thirties or younger.
Homelessness, poverty and depression lead to many trans women developing drug addictions or being forced into sex work.
The results also found that trans women more likely to end up in prison or as victims of transphobic police brutality.
