On this day, 9 December 1984, Mexican revolutionary fighter Amelio Robles Ávila died in his home town of Xochipala, Guerrero, aged 95. Assigned female at birth, Ávila joined the turbulent events of the revolution in 1912, and his first mission was to extort funds from oil companies to fund the revolutionary movement. He fought in the army of Emiliano Zapata and reached the rank of colonel. He was famous for shooting his pistol with his right hand while holding a cigar in his left, and he was himself shot at least six times.
In 1924 he declared his identity as male, was recognised as such by the military, and was later recognised as the first transgender veteran in the Mexican army. Ávila forged a male birth certificate, and insisted he be recognised as male for his next seven decades. Mexican historian Gabriela Cano explains that Ávila’s gender identity “must be distinguished from the strategic cross-dressing – the adoption of masculine outfits to pass as a man – that some women employed in periods of war to protect themselves from sexual violence that is usually more acute during armed conflict, to access military leadership positions or simply to fight as soldiers and not as soldaderas, that is to say, without the social gender restrictions that usually weigh on women in the military”. According to rumour, on one occasion Ávila was assaulted by men who tried to inspect his anatomy, and in defending himself two of the attackers were killed. A neighbour later recounted how Ávila would challenge anyone who misgendered him: “I always called him Mr. Robles, because he’d pull out his gun if someone called him a woman or Mrs.”
After his death, Mexican institutions began to undermine his identity. A rumour began that he had requested to be buried in women’s clothes, and a school and museum were named after his dead (i.e. christened) name.
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she asked me if i believed in god and i told her that when i was four i almost drowned in a public pool and in my panic mistook a stranger for my father. i clawed my way up his leg. four years later he’d send my parents a picture of the scars alongside a tin of cookies. he said, “i hope she’s still okay. i carry her with me. it isn’t every day you save a life. it isn’t every day you feel like you were here for a reason. when it does happen, you have to cherish that memory. for once, i had a purpose. just being there was enough. she tore me open but she taught me a lot about love.”
Just wanted to say, I fucking love your United States of North America content. It's so cool and interesting to see! And very creative! Honestly, it gives me the motivation to make a drawing of your U.S.N.A just because of how creative it is! :D
You’re making me want to go back to CH fandom, remember all the tiny details I couldn’t draw or explain about U. S. N. A… and know I want to force my self to do it. Thank you 💚
GOD today i served a family of 3 and the dad was like “i’ll have a cappuccino” and the kid, a girl of about 11, was like “PLEASE.” and he was like “uh yeah. please” and the kid goes “well you’re always telling me to remember my manners!!! you should too!!” and i was cracking up
and then she was standing there w her mum while i made their drinks and i asked if the mum wanted chocolate sprinkles and she was like “yes please” and the kid goes “well at least SOMEONE remembered their manners” and then sighed dramatically and HEELYED AWAY and honestly? not sure how to go on knowing i’ll never be as cool as this 11 year old
when you’re out at a restaurant or a coffee shop or a target or whatever with your friends and you overhear/eavesdrop the same snippet of some stranger’s conversation, and you look at each other for a second to check that you both heard this stranger say the same weird/funny/baffling thing and just break out in knowing grins and quiet laughter… that’s a love language
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