"We just want to be heard": Dee on Chile, race, disability, and trans rights - a podcast by Avery Smith

Dee Garnica shares their experience as a 19-year-old nonbinary Chilean, discussing issues of disability, race, and transgender rights in Chile. 

While the country does offer universal healthcare, as well as certain legal rights for trans persons, Dee has found that talk of trans issues is regarded as taboo and that the healthcare system fails many disabled persons. Moreover, despite the racial diversity of the Chilean people, racism rears its ugly head in the treatment of immigrants and in the dominance of white people in positions of power. 

Raised Catholic, Dee has also found Catholic school and Mass to be hostile places for them and thus has left religion. Wherever Dee goes, from academia to the workplace, they speak up for their rights, believing that every human being has a right to be heard and respected for who they are. 

Talking points:

- (0:00 - 5:56) Podcast info, current events in Chile, and introducing Dee

- (5:57 - 13:00) Issues with gendered language in Spanish; roadblocks for trans Chileans

- (13:01 - 14:46) Family denial, organizational and online support

- (14:47 - 20:53) Leaving religion after harmful experiences in Catholicism; Christianity should not be rich or whitewashed

- (20:54 - 24:45) Racism and xenophobia in Chile -- migrants and refugees

- (24:46 - 37:10) Fighting to have name and pronouns respected in school and at work; fighting to have disability recognized -- wanting better rights for those who come after us

- (37:11 - 47:15) Dee's plans for the future -- biochemistry, accommodations, starting a YouTube vlog, continuing "out of spite"

- (47:16 - 49:07) Chile as a "developing country"

- (49:08 - end) Wrapping up the episode

You can find Dee on twitter @DeeGarnicaO and on Instagram @nonbinaryq. 

Find the episode transcript at transchristianity.com/podcast

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