The Magical Encounters Festival , which took place in the city of Tilcara in Jujuy this weekend, was the venue for various debates, exchanges and demands, in favor of the LGBTIQ+ community. With the purpose of embodying each coming and going, the Terry National Museum 's proposal included the story of different life experiences.
One of them was the life of Daniel Ruiz Díaz , a missionary priest of the Ecumenical Apostolic Catholic Church, who recognizes himself as homosexual and is a fervent activist for human rights, especially for transvestite trans women. Currently, he cares for his mother in his hometown, General Güemes, in the province of Salta , but has been working for decades in Bolivia, a place that welcomed him and allowed him to take priestly habits.
"I always had two things clear, from a very young age. The first was my sexual identity because I always felt like a homosexual boy , a young homosexual and now a homosexual man; and the second, that I wanted to be a priest to be able to be an instrument and help to others ," the 54-year-old priest told Salta/12. From that clarity, Daniel never deviated from that purpose, and was built under an inclusive discourse, which enables open listening to each person who approaches him.
-In Tilcara you maintained a permanent exchange with anyone who approached you. When you talk about the need to maintain a permanent reflection, what do you mean?
-To be able to get out of so many closets . One of the most difficult to get out of is the closet of spirituality , which is such a vital tool to face so many things that our body feels. One of those things is gender identity. And beware, when I speak of spirituality it has nothing to do with religiosity.
(For this reason) it is about enhancing the spirituality of each one with a personal meeting where you can work from the inside and from the outside. It is a personal experience with the divine that is enhanced by our ideas and the stories they brought us. It may be from our beloved Pachamama or energy issues, but it is understanding that diversities have great potential, which is spirituality.
-And what is your concept of spirituality?
-The spirituality that we handle does not leave aside that from religion, people are afraid of hell, but many people have already lived through hell from here . That is why we seek to work from within each one and from personal and subjective experiences to enhance that. And remove all kinds of dogmas and indoctrination.
In the priesthood it is essential that you question everything because it helps us . And spirituality helps us to reflect, while religion only imposes dogmas on us .
-And when did you know you wanted to be a priest?
- At the age of 5 I played at being a priest and I also knew that I liked my classmate from kindergarten. I was always clear about that: my sexual identity and my vocation as a religious, above all to help trans women, all diversities.
-How was your childhood and adolescence?
-I always felt blessed because it was extraordinary for the family I have. The acceptance of my mother, my grandmother and my sister was given, and with this I realize that women have played a fundamental role in my life. Because of that, I know I have to do something to repay that love.
And for me it is in the domestic Church, which goes out to claim all kinds of rights and begins with your neighbor. It's easy to go to the Crystal Church, where I lock myself in that dome and look like an angel there, but I go out and mistreat my son, my partner and even my dog. That is why I believe in that domestic church that is born from the house .
-Knowing that you were clear about the vocation you wanted to follow, how was that formation in the priesthood bearing in mind the prejudices and conceptions that are held about other gender identities?
-I went to Bolivia and there I decided to assume my identity much more and make it public. There I paused (in priesthood formation). Then I met a bishop from Chile , who was part of the Ecumenical Apostolic Catholic Church. I raised my concern with him and told him that he was a gay activist who wanted to be a priest. 'Do you want to order me the same?' I asked him. He told me yes.
I am ordained as a priest and continue my pastoral work within the Ecumenical Church. It allows us to work freely with all populations because we do not make demands on the populations, rather the demands are made by our populations. Our Church receives and embraces everyone equally , and does not impose criteria.
The bishop who ordained Daniel Ruiz Díaz was Ramón Banderas . At that time, Daniel was 34 years old and had just been through some approaches to the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to beginning to inquire about human rights activism. Today he is part of the Mar del Plata network of people with HIV (REDAR +).
-You define yourself as a human rights activist, above all, in favor of trans women, how did that path come about?
-I participated in the first Pride March , which was 30 years ago. I went as a spectator seminarian because at that time, for me, it was the parading sin, it was immorality. It was all dark.
I was understanding thanks to many wonderful people, to friends of diversity who were the greatest blessing I could have everywhere. That is why when they talk to me about diversity, I feel that it is light, because you have to bring light in places where there was a lot of pain, discrimination, stigma, rejection.
One of those people was Estela Carrizo (her spiritual leader and referent). Also Julio César Aguilera and my bishop (Banderas), who understood my rights. Rights cannot be absent and religion cannot impose and say whether this right is fulfilled or not. Today we are in a process of reflection. The Church asked for forgiveness, but asking for forgiveness is not enough . It is necessary to repair so much damage where so many people were violated and indoctrinated.
That's why I understood that I had to give myself much more. I am not afraid to say that I am a gay man, a priest man and a man of service to others.
-And how did active militancy in favor of the rights of diversity come about?
-In Bolivia I know Estela Carrizo (from the Network of People Living with HIV-AIDS). There we realized that there were great violations of the rights of sexual diversity and, above all, of people who are carriers of HIV. You have to work on spirituality, but you also have to do political advocacy where more rights are won. That makes a good spiritual leader.
When Estela returns to Mar del Plata , she sets up the Mar del Plata network and works hard. I support where I can. But I know I can talk to you about God, but if your belly is ringing, I have to do something . Leaders have to accompany, above all, the most excluded. To those bodies that were really violated, for being women, black or indigenous. How many things we have left to repair!
I am going to sit down with all those who are going to do good to others because rights have been violated everywhere.
-Currently, how do you see the social scenario for people in the LGBTIQ+ community?
-I saw the last Pride March (in Buenos Aires) on television because I was in Salta. And there I saw how visibility was celebrated. It reminded me of what Daniel Ruiz was like in that first march and I knew that after so many years we have to celebrate, because the right to visibility has been won . It is a right because we put ourselves in the front line, plus our trans women.
So we have to continue celebrating, then we sit down and continue reflecting because we still lack the Comprehensive Law for trans compañeras , a new law for HIV/AIDS care, effective compliance with comprehensive sexual education. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the ESI, and in how many schools is actual compliance achieved? They are few, despite the laws we have.
-Argentina is at the forefront in expanding rights, especially to people of diversity. However, they are still not applied effectively, why do you think that is?
-Because there are not many places in the State where these people who have felt the violence in their bodies and who are trained, are present. There are a lot of trained people and they have to be placed in those strategic places. When I spoke with Marlene (Wayar, in Tilcara), he told me to myself that it was a blessing to have her in key places.
It is the first time that we have a Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, and it is something wonderful because there is light there . We have to keep working, but it's good that people who are trained and have lived everything in their bodies, want to be part of that change. I applaud the government that takes into account the excluded people , as well as, I question the governments that do not comply. Today I applaud.
From that first Pride Parade that he attended, and in which he was a mere spectator, Ruiz Díaz went on to organize them in Bolivia, a place that received him 25 years ago and where he hopes to return next year.
-What can you say about the Church's performance when it comes to the inclusion and treatment of the LGBTIQ+ community?
-We always realized that diversity has been present and my humble participation is to bring a little light because there is no God who punishes . The Church has used texts out of context to discriminate, reject and exclude. We want to change and alleviate that.
(In Tilcara) the nephew of a transgender colleague approached me and said: "You do my aunt so much good." It was beautiful because I just hug and listen to whatever they want to share with me.
-How do you think that listening on the part of the Church should be?
-For me, in few churches there is really an openness without prejudice. That is why I think that listening has to be active, patient and putting myself in the other's shoes . It has to be loving listening. These days (for the Festival of Magical Encounters) were listening. Children these days have taught us a lot. How much pain can we relieve with an instrument of peace and kindness like the hug.
We have to be people who embrace with joy and without prejudice. The Church must be that, because today the Church continues to exclude women . For example, there are situations where they are not allowed to receive Communion because they are divorced.
Everyone talks about freedom and internal and spiritual growth, but when they really see someone free of dogmas and prejudices, they get scared, scared and excluded. So we have to reduce the gap between what we think and what we do . So much damage needs to be repaired now. That is why, for me, Magical Encounters is a springboard because it is a light in a place so far away in our beloved Argentina.
