Alexia had to travel thousands of kilometers to hear her name. Only once she crossed the doors of Europe, she became, for the first time, Alexia. And upon hearing it from others, she began to feel a powerful fluttering in her gut. It was as if the person she had always been was finally emerging, shedding all the adopted appearances to survive. In Madrid, far from Cameroon, where transgenderism is criminalized and punishable by imprisonment, Alexia turned eighteen and embraced a new identity: the one that had deeply rooted within her as a child but was never able to claim. Breaking the most essential of social conventions in Africa comes at a price; she mentions that her family has disowned her, as they are Muslims and their religion prohibits what she has done. However, she believes it is impossible to fight against one’s feelings, as they will always find a way to surface.
A year after her departure from Cameroon, Alexia works part-time in a hair salon in the heart of Malasaña, thanks to Ambar, the first employment insertion program dedicated to transgender individuals, supported by the 26th of December Foundation with funding from the Community of Madrid. The salon is adorned with mirrors and bright lights, with electronic music playing faintly in the background. Pedro Bogo, the director of Ambar, connects job seekers with companies aligned with the project, ensuring work environments free of discrimination and providing free training. The initiative has already propelled the professional careers of 50 users in six months, with around thirty contracts of varying durations signed. This program aims to tackle the high unemployment rate among transgender individuals in the Madrid region, which marginalizes them and often leads to participation in the underground economy.
Bella Adriniegas, a 23-year-old transgender woman from Colombia, sought asylum in Spain three years ago after beginning her transition in her home country. Her change in appearance has hindered her job prospects, as employers often discriminate against transgender individuals during the recruitment process. Bella mentions the difficulty of projecting self-confidence during the acceptance process, which can be a challenge while job hunting. Through Ambar, she found her first job as an image consultant during the Christmas campaign, where she excelled in customer service. Bella’s employment situation is further complicated by the inability to change her legal documents until she obtains Spanish nationality, highlighting the bureaucratic obstacles faced by transgender individuals seeking employment.
The Madrid region lacks official statistics on the number of individuals undergoing gender transition, but the figures reported by the Madrid LGTBI Information and Assistance Program, which served 3,000 transgender individuals last year, provide an indication of the size of the community. Approximately one in five inquiries received by the office relate to concerns about healthcare access for transgender individuals. The Gender Identity Law passed by the Madrid Assembly in 2016 recognizes transgender individuals as socially vulnerable citizens, prompting the initiation of plans to guarantee their employment rights by organizations like the 26th of December Foundation. This gradual progress towards social recognition and inclusion is a positive step forward for transgender individuals in Madrid.
Susana Fernández, a 53-year-old transgender woman, reflects on her experiences in a time when transgender identity was often associated with crime and discrimination. After working for two decades in the financial sector without divulging her true gender identity due to fear of dismissal, she found the courage to express herself after retiring. Through Ambar, she has had the opportunity to retrain in unfamiliar areas and embrace a new beginning filled with self-love and acceptance. Despite the challenges and setbacks faced by transgender individuals in Madrid, Susana remains hopeful that societal progress and political winds will sustain the growing tolerance and acceptance of transgender individuals in the region.
