Agnes Torres Hernández, or Agnés Torres (born 1983,

Tehuacán "By faith and hope" , , image_map = , mapsize = 300 px , map_caption = Location of Tehuacán within the state of Puebla. , image_map1 = Puebla en México.svg , mapsize1 = 300 px , ma ...

– d. 10 March 2012, Atlixco) was a Mexican psychologist, researcher, and

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

activist. Torres advocated for the legal recognition of transgender people in Mexico, and was murdered for her work on 10 March 2012. After her death, the Puebla state congress incorporated " hate crime" into the Civil Defense Code for crimes made on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.

Education

Agnes Torres Hernández completed her

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

degree with honors in 2001 at Veracruz University. However, she was unable to actually receive her degree because it was issued under her

deadname Deadnaming is the act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used prior to transitioning, such as their birth name. Deadnaming may be unintentional, or a deliberate attempt to deny, mock or invalidate a person's gend ...

and not under the name Agnes. In May 2014, Veracruz University issued Torres her degree ''post mortem'' in recognition of her social and activist work.

Activism

Torres advocated for the right to rectify birth certificates and collaborated with Humana Nación Trans to seek respect and recognition for transgender persons at the national level. She also worked with the Democracy and Sexuality Network (DEMYSEX) and Erósfera. In 2010, Torres filed a complaint against Javier López Zavala, then the PRI candidate for the governorship of Puebla, to the

National Council to Prevent Discrimination The National Council to Prevent Discrimination ( es, Consejo Nacional para Prevenir La Discriminación; CONAPRED) is a Mexican government agency created in 2003 by Federal Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination and to promote policies and mea ...

over derogatory remarks López made in an electoral debate regarding transgender identity.

Murder

According to reports from the Attorney General of the State of Puebla, Torres's body was found in a ravine Siglo XXI highway on 10 March 2012, showing signs of torture. Because of the violence evidently carried out upon her, Torres's murder was classified as a hate crime on the basis of

transphobia Transphobia is a collection of ideas and phenomena that encompass a range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger to ...

. The Attorney General of Puebla arrested four suspects in connection to Torres's murder, while fifth remained a fugitive. Three years after her murder, in March 2015, no one had been charged for Torres's murder.

Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres Hernandez, Agnes 1983 births 2012 deaths LGBT rights activists from Mexico LGBT people from Mexico Transgender women Violence against trans women Mexican psychologists Mexican women psychologists People murdered in Mexico Universidad Veracruzana alumni People from Tehuacán 21st-century LGBT people