Mocha Celis: We Dare to Build the World We Want to Live In
This lecture addresses gender perspectives and structural barriers within education.
In Argentina, transgender and non-binary people endure pervasive discrimination, including expulsion from their family homes at a young age, and marginalization from education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Their life expectancy remains at a mere 35 years.
Despite these challenges, Buenos Aires-based Mocha Celis organization believes in the possibility of a better world. Founded in 2011, Mocha Celis emerged from the Trans Popular High School of the same name with the mission to co-create a world free from the structural barriers faced by the transgender and non-binary community. Through high-quality, free education, they embrace gender perspectives and celebrate cultural and sexual diversity. With over a decade of grassroots socio-educational work predating the formal non-profit organization, Mocha Celis has expanded its efforts. They have developed various programs aimed at securing the rights of trans, travesti, and non-binary people, promoting their access to a dignified life. In this lecture, they will give a glimpse into their program, pedagogy, and challenges.
This lecture was conducted in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation provided.
The event was co-moderated with architect, researcher, and photographer Paulina Ojeda.
Francisco Quiñones Cuartas (she/he) is a queer activist, co-Founder, and president of the Civil Association Mocha Celis in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also the co-founder and director of the Bachillerato Popular Travesti/Trans Mocha Celis, the first school in the world designed exclusively for the travesti, trans, and non-binary community. Francisco is a producer of audiovisual content and a documentary filmmaker known for directing the documentary "Mocha" alongside Rayan Hindi.
Virginia Silveira (she/her) is a graduate and teacher at the Travesti-Trans Non-binary Popular High School Mocha Celis in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she teaches research methodology and community development. She also studies Law and Administration of Justice within the Argentine National Judiciary. As a co-founder of the Civil Association Mocha Celis and a member of the Feminist International Foundation, Virginia is actively involved in directing research on the Travesti, Trans, and Non-binary populations. Her work has contributed to several books, documentaries, and research projects.
This lecture was part of Design Educators* Unite!—a lecture series for design teachers, researchers, and students that shares feminist practices from within.
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Mocha Celis: We Dare to Build the World We Want to Live In
with Francisco Quiñones Cuartas (she/he)
and Virginia Silveira (she/her)
from Travesti-Trans Non-binary Popular High School Mocha Celis