An Afternoon with Enoé Uranga
in Coyocan
Este artículo en español: Una
Tarde con Enoé Uranga en Coyoacán
Enkidu
had the pleasure to have a talk with Enoe Uranga on a terrace of a
charming little café on the central plaza of Coyocan last Thursday.
She is probably a familiar person to most of Enkidu’s readers
throughout the world, as we have followed her activities during the
last year and a half closely and her engaged voice has frequently been
heard in Enkidu. It was therefore for us a particular pleasure finally
to have the opportunity to make an exclusive interview with this
fascinating, many-facetted personality, so thoroughly gifted with
heart and charisma.
Two
weeks ago Enkidu accompanied Enoe presenting the law initiative
regarding “Ley de Sociedades de Convivencia” to her successors in
the Legislative Assembly of Mexico City. There is, however, no reason
to believe that Enoe will retire from the public stage. Her voice will
certainly be heard also in the future, and she also confirms to Enkidu
that she will continue her path. A politician may loose an election,
it is part of the game but she will be back, and there is no need to
lie down. Enough remains to be done.
Enoe’s
career has been impressive and astonishing and always characterized by
her true desire to contribute to a better society, in which each and
everyone is respected and can lead a life in dignity. For 10 years she
was active in the worker’s union at the UNAM, and held several
functions and offices during that period. Within the STUNAM she
specialized in women’s rights and the implementation and
organisation of electoral issues. In the 80’s she was actively
participating in the militant feminist movement, and at the end of
that decade, she also made her entry into GBLT activism, which
increasingly developed into a keystone in her social engagement. We
recommend our readers to take a look at her own homepage for a summary
and overview of the many important offices and positions she has held
in Mexico during the last 20 years [http://www.enoeuranga.com, http://www.asambleadf.gob.mx/princip/informac/diputa2/arts/Enoe_se.htm].
In the year 2000 she was elected as independent member of the
Legislative Assembly of the Capital where she was appointed President
of the Human Rights commission. Her engagement has always had an
international orientation as well, and she has participated in several
solidarity actions for instance in Central America (Nicaragua and El
Salvador).
“I
was a politician before I became a Lesbian”, Enoe says. Enkidu asks,
while reviewing her carrer, if there is in any way a political
advantage in dedicating oneself to the work for civil and sexual
rights in Mexico. Enoe reflected for a moment on the question before
she says: Es una moneda de dos caras [this is a coin with 2
faces]. It certainly has certain clear advantages, but the challenge
is basically that sometimes the politics and the person are not
clearly distinguished in people’s mind. You risk being to closely
identified with certain positions, a certain balance is necessary to
achieve, but it is not at all impossible. Enoe emphasizes that in some
instances and in some situations, her sexual orientation has indeed
been an issue also in professional contexts. But she has never herself
experienced being directly disadvantaged or discriminated directly as
an individual in her daily work. It has never been an issue as such on
the personal level, in the daily interaction and exchange with the
individuals she has worked with.
The
central
aspect of her work, however, are issues related to human rights, and
it is also in this perspective, her engagement for sexual rights and
diversity in Mexico must be seen. She has never forgotten that sexual
rights are human rights. Enkidu therefore asked her, how the
issue of equal rights for the GBLT population can be better integrated
into the general public discourse about human rights. Enoe emphasized
that we need to encourage a general consciousness in the society that
being human in all its complexity requires a diverse definition that
also diminishes the artificial barrier between individuals and
collectivities. Being human is being diverse in a collectivity. We all
participate in the society on our own terms, but not as isolated
entities, which also is one basic feature of democracy, uniting
distinct collectivities into a larger unity.
I
mentioned to Enoe that as a foreigner observing and reading Mexican
media mainly from the outside, it frequently occurs to me that each
and every marginalized, discriminated or disadvantaged group in the
Mexican society seem to have their very own battles and their very own
fights for their very own particular rights without regard to other
distinct groups in a comparable situation. It may from time to time
seem as if the various disadvantaged groups, for example
gblt-activist, feminists, and indigenous activists etc rather work against
than with each other. I asked Enoe if she sees a need for a
better coordination and integration of all these various struggles
that take place within the society. Is it necessary to further
emphasize the idea that we all participate in one society and how can
this be done?
Enoe
expressed a certain optimism in this regard, despite the fact that for
instance within the feminist movement you may still find examples of
exclusion of lesbian issues, that elements within the feminist
movement still feel a need to avoid a too close identification with
lesbian activism. Similar things happen also in other social
movements, but to a far lesser degree than in earlier decades. Such
attitudes are today rather the exception than the rule. Things
improve, and important interaction does indeed take place between the
various social movements. There are currently several indications that
the various struggles increasingly are better and better integrated
and more and more communication does take place to the benefit of all
and the society at large. “We unite forces more and more, cada vez
mas”, Enoe says to Enkidu.
Many
forces have contributed to these positive developments, and
considering the discomfort and almost contempt many social activists
feel regarding the ongoing processes of globalisation, it is almost
ironic that globalisation as such also has been one major force
contributing to the creation of stronger bonds between different
groups and levels of distinct activism. Enoe talks engaged and with an
expressive body language. This is one of the many topics for which she
is burning. She mentions the recent events in Cancun as one clear
example. There, before the eyes of the world, environmentalists,
feminists, indigenous activists and gblt-activists among several
others from everywhere around the world jointed together, united by a
common cause.” I believe we can talk about an “including
globalisation” here”, Enoe says. An immense popular participation
on many levels. The ongoing processes of globalisation bringing
people, cultures and societies closer together can have many outcomes,
and not all of them must be negative.
La mirada de necesiad apoya una alianza entre
los excluidos
Few individuals have fought harder for the
realisation of the “ley de Sociedades de Convivencia" in
Mexico City’s legislation than Enoe. The law proposal has had
a long history and as Enkidu’s regular readers will be more than
aware of, the process goes on. Enoe, however, is optimistic and does
not perceive of the several delays in the city’s assembly of
representatives as a defeat in any way. She is confident that these
processes will be crowned with success at one point in a near future.
The time is simply ripe for such a development. Similar processes are
running in several countries also in Latin America and Enoe is
convinced that time works for our cause, also in Mexico. She predicts
that GBLT – issues will be important themes in the elections in
2006. At least in the capital. Things are often different in the
province, but also here she sees interesting similar and related
developments regarding social issues, but they often take different
shapes and manifest themselves in other ways than in Mexico City.
Although the expected developments in Mexico City might certainly be a
strong catalyst for changes also on the federal level, as well as in
the states, we must always remember that there are many Mexicos. Other
cities like Guadalajara or Monterrey, and other states have their own
political cultures, other priorities and historical experiences.
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recibir nuestro noticiero semanal.)
Muchas Gracias.
Atte.
Tu
Los
Martes de Enkidu
29.06.2003: 
Febrero 2007
