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Intelligent, strong, and courageous. These are the adjectives that best describe Antonella Lerca, who kindly granted an interview to Il Grande Colibrì. As already reported, Antonella should have been the first Roma trans woman candidate for the municipal elections in Bucharest, Romania. Unfortunately, the 1700 signatures necessary for her candidacy to be valid have not been collected. The news -which for us was a real cold shower- did not discourage Antonella. She intends to run again in the elections which will be held in four years, because as she has reminded us several times: we must never stop fighting.

E. Tell us about yourself: about your childhood, your family, and in general of your personal life?

Absolutely! I am a laid back person, born in Romania within a large and very bound Roma family. I have seven brothers and sisters. At 14, as per tradition, I was forced to get married. However, opposite to the relative’s expectation, the marriage was not consummated, which triggered an unimaginable uproar. Nobody wanted to believe what had happened. Our respective families were almost ready to do battle. I underwent a sort of long process to verify what had happened … I call it “The day of Antonella’s judgment”. In retrospect, I consider it my coming out, in all respects.

N. Do you feel like telling us what happened next?

Basically, the only thing we came up with -in order to avoid a furious altercation- was asking for more time to explain my inappropriate behavior. I’ve literally spent my second and third day of marriage between hospitals across the country. The conclusion of our wandering was tragic: they locked me up for a month in a psychiatric ward that looked like a horror movie set. It was a horrible experience, which still hurts. The doctor who was treating me had no idea what it means to be transgender. He thought I was suffering from some kind of behavioral disorder, that I was crazy!

I was saved by a medical student from Casablanca. He was the one who explained everything to the doctor who was following my case, and he was the one who worked out my gender dysphoria diagnosis. Thanks to him I was able to leave that horrible hospital and finally return home. And thanks to him my family was able to make peace with that of my wife. However, the story didn’t end well. The gender dysphoria diagnosis wasn’t well-received by my family and by my entire community. Unfortunately for me, social exclusion followed upon leaving the asylum.

E. I gauge it was an awful circumstance…

Yes, definitely! it was terrible! Nobody spoke to me for two years. Friends, acquaintances, even my parents… not one person wanted anything to do with me. At school, I was constantly bullied. I felt very lonely and very unhappy. Things changed when I turned 17 and met a Romanian guy who worked in Italy. He convinced me to leave my country and move to yours. I followed him blindly, trusting his promises, and hoping to finally find a place where I could live in peace and be accepted.

antonella lerca manifestazione romaniaI’ve realized too late that it was all nonsense and his only purpose was to take me to Italy to prostitute me. When I figured that out, I was already in Mestre and felt I couldn’t help it but to accept the situation and try to adapt. During the years spent in your country, I met other trans women and began to take my first steps in the world of activism and volunteering.

N. What did you specifically do?

I was a translator, although unofficially. I’ve helped other women to learn Italian and I was an interpreter for Romanian and Spanish women who needed medical visits or treatment. Mine was a totally voluntary commitment, which sparked the desire to return to Romania to concretely help with the defense of the rights of the weakest and most marginalized.

I went back to my home country in 2017 -just one year before the referendum on egalitarian marriage- and I had the opportunity and time to meet many people belonging to the Romanian trans community and the sex worker community. From then on, I’ve practiced activism continuously and regularly. With the support of some other women, I’ve also founded the SexWorkCall association, offering help to the most destitute and marginalized groups of our country. However, with the advent of COVID-19 things have become very complicated.

E. I totally understand, unfortunately! What are some of the difficulties you have to endure daily and what measures have been put in place by the government to face this difficult situation?

The country is experiencing a serious crisis: the virus has had repercussions on the economy and this has contributed to further increase inequality and the number of poor people. As an association, we try to do everything possible to provide help and support to the most vulnerable but we often find ourselves in great difficulty. The requests for assistance are multiplying, and to solve this very complicated situation everyone’s help and commitment are needed. Central government measures are not enough to contain the emergency, and let’s point out that the food aid offered by the state is not given to the LGBTQIA community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual).

Not to mention the extensive difficulties trans people -who were already particularly penalized before the virus arrival- are facing! Normally, no form of health and psychological assistance is provided for them. The current situation has further aggravated everything. Therefore, as an association, we try to offer concrete and stable assistance. We are also building a safe space in which people can meet, feel welcome, and heard.

antonella lerca trans disabiliN.  If I understand correctly, the keyword is building a network to not leave anyone behind!

Exactly! Also, keep in mind in Romania there is no law to protect the LGBTQIA community, so all the help comes practically from “below”, from us, from the few associations like ours.

E. Latching on to your last statement, I have a question related to the world of associations. Are you and your organization currently collaborating with Italian and/or European entities that deal with the defense of the rights of trans people?

Yes, right now we are in contact with the ILGA Europe organization. Together we are developing a project which will start in October, aiming to protect the most disadvantaged and destitute people. It’s the first step and it’s certainly very important, but the situation is still very critical and complicated.

E. I really can’t disagree. I imagine that unfortunately you and your association don’t receive particular support in terms of funds and economic aid…

You are correct, indeed. Our source of support is crowdfunding. From time to time, we may find someone willing to make a donation, to give us a hand, but we cannot count on real economic stability. In addition to the lack of money, the continuous and fierce discrimination that Romanian LGBTQIA people suffer is another big problem. Homophobia and transphobia have reached very high levels and the weak (if not entirely non-existent) criticisms from the European Union do not improve the situation, at all.

That is why, I’m repeatedly saying something new is needed, plus a lot of commitment and considerable willpower. We must continue to fight without ever giving up. This is the only way to win the most difficult and hardest battles.

Ervin Bajrami and Nicola Zaramella
©2o2o Il Grande Colibrì
images: ©Antonella Lerca

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