Lesly Martinez Gonzalez has been waiting for about six months to apply for asylum in the United States. Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, she is now seeking temporary refuge at Casita de UT, a shelter in Tijuana that supports trans women.

While she waits for an appointment in the CBP One application process, which can take days or months depending on the individual’s luck in the roulette-like system, she has received much more than just a roof over her head and food from Casita. There, trans women can participate in a variety of activities designed to help them process some of the violence they have experienced, learn new skills and empower themselves to live the lives they want.

“The girls don’t know how to deal with the violence they have experienced,” said Susy Barrales, a home director and longtime transgender activist in Tijuana, in Spanish. “The goal is to give them another option for life.”

Recently, Lesly and some of her colleagues participated in a six-week photography workshop led by photographer Alexa Macias, which culminated in an exhibition titled “Miradas en (tráns)ito II” at the Teorema Taproom in Tijuana on Avenida Revolución.

The photographs hanging on the wall in the upstairs seating area of ​​the cervecería ranged from street life in Tijuana to an intimate shot of fingers holding a piece of grass, and from unique angles of a church framed by leaves to a dramatically lit portrait of a woman laughing happily.

The women used disposable cameras to take the pictures, with Macias introducing them to the form and technique for different types of photographs.

Lesly said she tried to find unexpected perspectives for the pictures she took for the exhibition.

“There are different ways to see paths, but you can get to the same destination,” she said.

For Barrales, part of the impact of the exhibition was to put the women’s names and their art on the wall where the public could see them.

“It’s time we stopped allowing ourselves to be restricted,” she said. “We continue to occupy public space.”

Some of the photos in the exhibition have already been sold, costing 300 pesos each. Although the exhibition ended last week, the remaining photos are still for sale. Interested parties can contact Barrales for more information, she said. Proceeds will benefit the work of Casita de UT.

Al Otro Lado, a nonprofit organization supporting asylum seekers in Tijuana, helped bring the workshop to the shelter.

Brigitte Lujano, LGBTQ+ project coordinator at Al Otro Lado, said the purpose of the workshop was not to simply pass the time for the women while they wait for their appointments, but rather to give them the opportunity to tell their stories from their perspective.

“There’s a stereotype that trans women are only suited for sex work,” Lujano said. “This exhibition tells society that’s not true. We just need a little empowerment.”

She said trans women face a difficult life because they have no opportunity to discover their talents or improve their skills. In Mexico, many of them are forced into sex work because employers do not want to hire them.

“Our self-esteem is completely destroyed,” she said. “Sometimes we think we’re not worthy.”

Lujano was once an asylum seeker hoping to apply for protection in the United States. While waiting in Tijuana during the pandemic, she began volunteering with Al Otro Lado. Through this organization, she found a new avenue – to advocate and support women like her.

Trans women have long fled Central America and Mexico in the hope of finding greater safety in the United States. Casita de UT is just one example of the network trans women have built to support each other on this journey. The culmination of this journey is often New York City, where activist Jessica Guaman helps new arrivals get back on their feet.

Lesly said her dream of a new life in the USA was freedom.

“Above all, to have rights because we are all equal,” she said. “I don’t want to be judged or challenged. I want to be free.”

More news

No place to go: The port police reported Asylum-seeking families who were living in Cesar Chavez Park must leave or face arrest as Governor Gavin Newsom moves to clear homeless encampments from public property. I spoke to several families last week for Voice of San Diego. They have been staying in a hotel for the past week, but it is not clear where they will go after tomorrow. There are also several adult asylum-seekers living in the park without their families who still have no housing there.

Fewer street publications: KPBS’ Gustavo Solis reported that Border Patrol agents have dropped off fewer migrants at trolley stops in San Diego in recent weeks. While border crossings locally appear to be declining for now, migration in the hemisphere is not, Solis reports.

An agency without borders: The September/October issue of Mother Jones features an in-depth look at the U.S. Border Patrol, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The collected stories include a piece by Erin Siegal McIntyre about a rape at a Border Patrol training facility and the agency’s culture that allows agents who commit such crimes to stay on the job.

A fatal fall: inewsource’s Sofía Mejías-Pascoe reported on video footage of a woman falling to her death from the 30-foot-high border wall in March as Border Patrol agents watched from below. The woman spent 24 minutes on the wall before falling, and an agent directed rescuers to the wrong spot, Mejías-Pascoe found. San Diego trauma centers have reported a rise in injuries and deaths since the Trump administration increased the size of the wall.

New rules for dogs: According to Alexandra Mendoza of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the United States has changed the rules for crossing the border with dogs.

Binational design capital: The Exchange Pavilion of World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 will open on August 17 in Balboa Park with a celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Thank you for reading. I’m open to tips, suggestions and feedback on Instagram @katemorrisseyjournalist and on X/Twitter @bgirledukate.