Transamazonicas
By Nelson Morales
The exuberant greenery of the Colombian Amazon is an intense paradise full of life, colors, unique species and beautiful beings. When I had the opportunity to explore this mysterious place, I had no agenda or expectations. I only had an intuition to go explore the area of Puerto Nariño. Deep down, I knew that I was going to find something very special.
I'm a queer photographer and I'm always looking for stories that represent my LGBTQ+ community. After walking through the streets of Puerto Nariño for several days, I couldn’t find a single queer person. Until suddenly, one afternoon– I found a tossed lipstick. A few meters away I came face to face with Taliana, a trans girl, and I stopped to chat with her. I asked her if there was a local queer community. She told me that there was a gathering the following day, and invited me to join.
The Amazon jungle is accompanied by long endless rivers which surround you in an atmosphere of peace, tranquility, harmony and serenity. The land is fertile, thriving in the company of birds, monkeys, exotic species and legends. The Ticuna community has long inhabited this region, preserving and caring for the land.
In addition to the landscape, these indigenous peoples have worked to preserve and care for their own tribal customs and traditions. The leaders of these tribes ensure that community members comply with the rules and strictly avoid things that are thought to disturb the harmony. Their intention is to enforce social codes that avoid making their gods angry.
For approximately ten years, the Amazonian LGBTQ+ community here has been gathering in this particular area. Unfortunately this underground community is forced to remain underground. Since local leaders are against expressions of gender fluidity, this vibrant scene has not been given the exposure to welcome other queer individuals in the area.
The Transamazonicas face daily challenges and obstacles. Local leaders see this community as unnatural and sinful, fearing the theoretical disapproval of their ancestors. The Transamazonicas have had to take care of aggressions and insults hurled toward them. Many have even been exiled from their homes and have been displaced to larger cities. They just want to be free and express their true identity without hiding.
Though many work to silence them, their true brilliance can never be muted.
