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A Trans Man in Mexico Forges His Own Path

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A Trans Man in Mexico Forges His Own Path

Jan. 10, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET
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By Eloisa Diez

Ms. Diez is a documentary filmmaker.

I first met Alex Reyes de Anda, the subject of this short documentary, when I was in a period of questioning and self-reflection after my 41st birthday: Am I the person I want to be? What makes us who we are? Getting to know Mr. Reyes de Anda led me to confront my own fears of the wider world and what freedom means in our own lives.

Mr. Reyes de Anda is a transgender man living in a small, traditional Catholic town in Jalisco, Mexico. His journey in developing his identity and building the life he wants is an inspiration to shake off fears of the unknown. He helped me understand identity as a dynamic process, constantly in construction and in dialogue with our environment, the experiences we live and the decisions we make.

I learned that identity is marked by scars, by the pain that goes through us, but also by each of the small and great daily victories that we achieve in our lives.

Eloisa Diez is a filmmaker, radio producer and scriptwriter based in Mexico.

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