Location: Honduras, Tegucigalpa
Date: January 21, 2022

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is horrified at the brutal murder of prominent trans activist and human rights defender Thalía Rodríguez, who was shot in the head multiple times outside her home in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras on January 10. Her partner was shot and critically injured in the attack as well. The CFWIJ demands a swift and transparent investigation into the killing. 

Thalía, 45, was the leader of the trans-right group, Asociación Cozumel Trans. According to Reportar Sin Miedo, Thalía was at the door of her home with her partner when they were attacked. Her partner was shifted to a local hospital with critical gunshot wounds. 

“Thalía was a trans woman, who dedicated more than 20 years to the defence of human rights…Thalía was fighting for a Honduras without discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV,” reported LGBT+ rights group Cattrachas. 

Media reports cited another trans-rights group in Honduras, JLo Córdova of Muñecas de, as saying, “Thalía for many years had been fighting to ensure the trans community in Honduras would have rights”. According to this group, she was a “warrior”.

Persecution of trans activists and members of the LGBTQ+ have become commonplace in Honduras, pointed out rights groups. Over 409 members of the LGBTI community have been killed in Honduras since 2009, according to Cattrachas Observatory Data. 

The National Network of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras observed in Twitter post that of the 409 murders since 2009, 123 killings were of trans women. 

Cattrachas further pointed out that the killings  of LGBTQ+ persons go uninvestigated by the authorities. In most cases, the perpetrators have benefited from impunity as trans lives are not accorded value by the state. The group maintained that Honduras is a hostile and dangerous country for a large section of its citizens, who identify as queer.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is horrified that a prominent trans activist was brutally killed outside her home. We join the LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations in Honduras in demanding action from the authorities on Thalía Rodríguez’s murder. It is appalling that members of the LGBTQ+ community have lost hundreds of lives in homophobic and transphobic violence. We call on the Public  Prosecutor’s Office to investigate Thalía’s murder as well as the killings of other members of the community. The authorities must take all the necessary efforts to identify the perpetrators of violence against trans and LGBTQ+ persons and ensure justice. The attack on a prominent activist is an attempt to further silence a community which has long faced persecution in the country. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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