Transgender immigrants who fled Latin America still face uncertainty in the US
ABC News
Paloma Vazquez was killed in her Houston apartment just six months after leaving Honduras to escape transphobic violence.
Paloma Vazquez envisioned a new start in Houston. After immigrating from Honduras to escape transphobic violence just six months prior, the 29-year-old was ready to move into her new apartment. Her dream was abruptly cut short after she was shot and killed in that very apartment on Feb. 26, 2021.
Police are still searching for a suspect.
Vazquez is one of the many cases of LGBTQ+ individuals in Latin America who felt endangered in their home countries and immigrated to America for a better life. However, a new life free from transphobic discrimination and violence is not always a certainty in the U.S.
"There's a saying that goes that trans people fight to get to the U.S. because in the U.S., they harass you, but in our country, they kill you. Unfortunately, that's also starting to become a reality here in America," Vazquez's friend, Gia Pacheco, told ABC News.
