A transgender teen’s case opens a path for others

Her name translates from Spanish as “beloved.”

- By Maria TERESA HERNANDEZ

CHAIWAT SUBPRASOM SOPA Images / Light Rocket A CONTESTANT FROM Ecuador prepares for a transgender beauty competition in Thailand in 2024.

“We decided to call her ‘Amada’ because she came into our home to be cherished,” said Lorena Bonilla, whose transgender daughter was recently authorized to change her identity documents under a ruling by Ecuador's Constitutional Court.

Her case — alongside another decided in March — has opened the door for Ecuadorean adolescents seeking to modify their name and sex in official records. Adults gained that right after years of advocacy efforts culminating in a 2024 reform.

The court’s rulings were welcomed by supporters of LGBTQ+ rights in a region where conservative movements have gained ground in recent months. Yet they also warn of the legal and social hurdles that transgender people continue to face.

“In Ecuador there are still political, religious and social sectors that portray gender recognition for adolescents as a threat,” said Cristian Gonzalez Cabrera, an LGBTQ+ rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “That climate can translate into institutional hostility, delays and unjustified denials.”

Bonilla and her daughter, 17, experienced that firsthand in 2018. Their legal battle began when Amada was 9 and school authorities refused to admit her because her legal documents did not match her gender identity.

“We went through 14 schools and none would take her in,” Bonilla said. “We then knew we needed to change her name.”

A court initially granted Amada the right to modify her identity documents. But the civil registry appealed the decision, and a higher court ruled that her passport and ID card should reflect her birth name and sex.

“It was a step backward for our rights,” Bonilla said.

Legal gains and rising pushback