Trans activist Vicky Hernández was just 26 years old when she was killed by Honduran security forces in 2009. Her death, like countless other trans women who have been murdered in the region, was never properly investigated and while the state claimed an autopsy had been conducted, the family was never provided with the results.
RFK Human Rights and Red Lésbica Cattrachas have been advocating on behalf of Vicky for years and brought her case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights demanding justice. In June 2021, exactly 12 years after Vicky was killed, the Court ruled that the state of Honduras should be held accountable for her death and not only provided Vicky’s family with reparations but established new measures to protect LGBTQ+ people from further discrimination and harm.
VICE News spoke with senior staff attorney Kacey Mordecai for more on the case and what this ‘watershed’ moment means for trans rights in the Americas.
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