"It was a white car. They started to shoot. One of the girls was hit in the arm and they shot me in the back. I was left lying on the ground, I couldn’t even move my feet. The man got out of the car. They were all dressed in military uniforms but they had their faces covered. I didn’t move my eyes, I thought this man is going to shoot me in the head. I played dead and I didn’t blink. His friends called him to go and chase the other girls and he got in the car and they drove off” JLO Córdova.
While LGBT+ people across the world are participating in marches and events proudly showing they exist, in many countries they face threats, criminalisation and even murder.
JLO has dedicated her life to defend trans and LGBT rights since she started her own transition when she was 15 years old. Since then, she has suffered three attempts on her life. Since 2009 at least 325 LGBT people, mainly trans women, have been killed in Honduras. Survivors seldom report attacks due fear of reprisals and many receive dead threats or are subject to harassment. Research shows that at least 60% of the hate crimes are carried out by state security forces. The impunity rate in those cases that are reported is 98%.
SOMOS tells the story of Arcoiris, a group of LGBT+ human rights defenders in Honduras. In recent years the organisation has faced mounting threats and attacks, the murder of 6 of its members, sexual violence and following relentless public abuse and stigmatisation, making Honduras one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be an LGBT+ activist.
These documentary reveals both the severity of the risks they face and their determination to further their struggle.
Best Latinx Short at Long Beach QFilm Film Festival 2021 (USA), Finalist at Film for Peace 2020 (Canada), Semi-Finalist at Margate Film Festival 2020 (UK), Audience Award at Oregon International Film Festival 2021 (USA) and Official Selection at North West Fes International Documentary Film Festival 2021 (Canada), Mix Mexico Festival 2021, Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (USA), Trans Stellar Film Festival 2021 (US), Fairy Tales Film Festival 2021 Calgary Queer Arts Society (Canada), PRIDE Queer Film Festival 2021 (Australia), QueerBee Film Festival (UK), Leeds International Film Festival 2020 (UK), FilmPride - Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQ + Film Festival 2020 (UK), Queer Vision Film Festival 2020 (UK) and Latino Film Market 2021.