Sara Millerey. Screenhot from the video “Todo sobre el brutal asesinato de Sara Millerey, mujer trans a la que rompieron brazos y piernas” on the YouTube channel EXCELSIOR. Fair use.

Content warning: this article contains graphic details of a violent transfemicide.

On the first weekend of April 2025, Sara Millerey González, a 32-year-old trans woman, was brutally murdered in Bello, a neighboring municipality to Medellín, Colombia. The crime was captured on video and shared through social networks. The assailants beat Sara to the point of breaking her ribs, arms, and legs, and then they threw her into a stream, where she died by drowning without receiving any help.

Her murder moved the country, unleashing a wave of public outrage, but also transphobic abuse. The Ombudsman's Office of Colombia confirmed that in the first three months of the year the country had already registered at least 13 transfemicides. Despite certain institutional advances in LGBTQ+ rights, the levels of violence against the trans population continue to be alarming.

In this context of profound pain, we spoke with Lucía Jiménez, a writer for Global Voices since 2021. Lucía has contributed personal essays of great sensitivity and clarity, such as “Nothing is braver than a trans woman unafraid to die in order to live” and “No hatred nor pity: Just let me live in my own body.” Her style is characterized by deep honesty, political coherence, and sometimes necessary irony. She has a career as a teacher in Bogotá and is active on social networks, where she uses her TikTok profile (@luciversomujer) to advocate for the rights of trans women and disabled people.

Global Voices asked her the following questions, whose responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Global Voices (GV): First of all, how are you doing emotionally with respect to the murder of Sara Millerey?

Lucía Jiménez (LJ): Supremamente devastada, ya han pasado unos días, pero sigo bastante triste porque es una hermana con la que se comparten sueños y experiencias de vida. Lastimosamente el odio de una sociedad hace que no quiera ver a las personas trans con vida, que quiere deshacernos de la ecuación.

Lucía Jiménez (LJ): Extremely devastated. A few days have passed now, but I'm still pretty sad because she is a sister with whom we share dreams and life experiences. Unfortunately, society's hate makes it not want to see trans people live, but to remove us from the equation.

GV: The case of Sara made brutally visible the transphobic violence that persists in Colombia. From your experience and perspective, do you feel that this violence has increased, decreased, or become more visible in recent years?

LJ: La violencia encontrada de las personas LGBTIQ+ se ha disparado últimamente, muchos países como Estados Unidos, Ecuador y por supuesto El Salvador han querido negar esta violencia. Lo que han hecho los líderes de dicho países es tratar de mostrar a las mujeres trans no como la población que necesita protección, por precisamente las violencias a las que está expuesta, sino todo lo contrario: compararnos con hombres, cosa que no somos, y mucho menos esos hombres malvados que quieren ‘robarle’ el lugar a las otras mujeres.

Estamos siendo víctimas de una cacería y lo peor es que a veces ni si quiera nuestras propias familias nos creen que salir a la calle se está volviendo un riesgo, de que nos están atacando, de que no podemos salir. Hay días que cuando salgo, puedo recibir dos tres agresiones tanto físicas pero sobre todo verbales, que realmente, son las que terminan causando la mayor tragedia que es la desaparición de la vida misma.

LJ: The violence encountered by LGBTQ+ people has skyrocketed lately. Many countries such as the United States, Ecuador, and of course El Salvador, have wanted to deny this violence. The leaders of these countries to try to show trans women not as the population that needs protection, precisely because of the violence to which they are exposed, but the opposite: to compare us to men, which we are not, much less those evil men who want to “steal” the place of other women.

We are victims of a witch hunt, and the worst thing is that sometimes not even our own families believe us that going out in the street is becoming a risk, that we are being attacked, that we can't go out. There are days that when I go out, I receive two or three attacks, not just physical but above all verbal ones, which are really the ones that end up causing the greatest tragedy, which is the disappearance of life itself.

GV: You have underlined that it is urgent that society positions itself against the hateful discourse that result in this type of attack. For you, what is the role that narratives play — including media and social networks — in slowing or feeding this violence?

LJ: Bastante triste la forma en como los medios locales trataron la noticia con el morbo habitual que ronda a las personas trans, especialmente a las mujeres.

Se revelaron datos que eran personales de ella a un país lleno de odio y a un mundo lleno de transfobia. Por ejemplo, han usado estos datos como el nombre que usaba antes [de su transición] para revictimizarla, para seguir negando su historia, su legado, su experiencia de vida.  Es terrible que, aún muertas no se nos respeta la identidad, no se respeta quiénes éramos, ni quiénes somos.

Las personas que hemos denunciado la violencia de la que fue víctima Sara, hemos sido víctimas de comentarios donde se irrespeta la memoria de la hermana, donde se le acusa de cosas que no hizo, que no era, como por ejemplo que era “habitante de calle” — si fuera el caso, las condiciones de odio llevan a muchas personas trans a esta situación; sin acceso a educación o a trabajar, la calle es lo que hay.  Le acusan de esto y decir “pues normal que eliminemos a esas personas también”. Entonces se ha dejado de ver no solamente la transfobia sino además la aparofobia, que es ese odio hacia la gente pobre.

Ella no era ladrona, mucho menos violaba niños, tampoco era habitante de calle, cosas que la gente usa para criminalizarle y para justificar [su asesinato], con bulos y noticias falsas.

También he señalado en mis redes sociales medios como Caracol, RCN, Revista Semana, que son medios no solo odiosos en la forma de cómo se refieren a las mujeres trans, sino que son medios transfóbicos que permiten que los influencers hablen pestes de las personas trans, y hace parte como del reality, con morbo.

Entonces salen diciendo “justicia para Sara”, cuando todo lo que hacen es porque es una noticia que es viral y que ya ahorita ya se olvidó. Ya no vemos nada sobre Sara en las noticias. Ya dejó de ser viral, ya dejó de producir rentabilidad para estos noticieros. Es horrible ver cómo usan la tragedia de las personas trans, de las mujeres trans, para generar visualizaciones, pero que a la final esos canales, esos medios de comunicación, les importó un pepino la vida de las personas trans. Y eso es claro cuando se ve cómo apoyan a candidatos y actores políticos que son supremamente transfóbicos, homofóbicos, racistas, lesbofóbicos.

LJ: It is quite sad the way the local media treated the news with the usual morbidity that surrounds trans people, especially women.

Data that was personal to her was revealed to a country full of hate and a world full of transphobia. For example, they have used data such as the name she used before [her transition] to revictimize her, to continue denying her history, her legacy, her life experience. It is terrible that even when we are dead our identity is not respected. There is neither respect for who we were nor who we are.

Those of us who have denounced the violence of which Sara was a victim have been victims of comments where her memory is disrespected, where she is accused of things she did not do and that she was not. For example, that she was homeless — and even if that were the case, the conditions of hate lead many trans people to this situation; without access to education or work, the street is what's left. They accuse you of this and say, “well, it's normal that we eliminate these people too.” So we lose sight not only of transphobia but also aporophobia, which is this hatred toward poor people.

She was not a thief, much less a child rapist, nor was she a homeless person, which are all things that people say to criminalize her and justify [her murder], with hoaxes and fake news.

In my social media, I have also pointed out media platforms like Caracol, RCN, and Revista Semana, which are not only hateful in the form in which they refer to trans women, but which are also transphobic outlets that permit influencers to denigrate trans people, and it's done like a reality show, with morbid fascination.

So they go out saying “justice for Sara,” when everything they do is because it's a viral story that has already been forgotten. We don't see anything about Sara in the news anymore. She has already stopped being viral now that she has stopped being profitable for those newscasts. It's horrible to see how they use the tragedy of trans people, trans women, to generate views, but in the end those channels, those communication outlets, don't care at all about the lives of trans people. This is clear when one sees how they support candidates and political actors who are extremely transphobic, homophobic, racist, and lesbopohic.

GV: How did the trans community in Colombia react to this abhorrent and terrifying video going viral?

LJ: La viralización de estos vídeos tiene un propósito inicial por parte de los violentos, por parte de quienes generaron estos actos sistemáticos de odio que culminan en la eliminación de la vida de la persona, en transfeminicidio, que es generarnos miedo, que es generarnos ese terror a salir a la calle, a que nos van a agredir, a que nos van a matar, que es un terror bastante real y que la mayoría de personas trans y particularmente las mujeres trans hemos vivido en carne propia en algún momento de la vida y lastimosamente, a diario.

Pero también la existencia de esos videos, de esas imágenes, son testimonios de que esa violencia es real, de que no es solamente el comentario donde te eliminan el nombre, donde te tratan con otra identidad que no te corresponde, no es solamente eso, sino que realmente se traduce en una violencia aniquiladora.

Entonces, una dice, sí, está bien no estar mostrando las imágenes, pero entonces hacer algo respecto a esa violencia, porque es que lastimosamente en los mismos sectores LGBTIQ+ las personas trans siguen siendo invisibilizadas.

Porque sí, hablamos de comunidad trans, más no de comunidad LGBTIQ+. Lo sectores LGBTIQ+ tiene algunas cosas en común, pero que realmente lo que vemos es que a las vidas trans no le importa a este país. Las vidas trans ni siquiera le importa a los colectivos LGBTIQ+, a pesar de que le coloquen una “T”.

Es así que, son las mismas personas trans las que luchan por sus derechos y las que hacen todo esto a favor de la visibilización de sus derechos y sobre todo de su derecho a la vida.

LJ: The viralization of these videos has an initial purpose on the part of the perpetrators, those who generated these systematic acts of hate that culminate in the elimination of the life of the person, in transfeminicide, which is to generate fear, to terrorize us out of the streets, fear that they will attack us, that they will kill us. This is a very real terror that most trans people and particularly trans women have experienced firsthand at some point in life, and sadly on a daily basis.

But also the existence of these videos, of these images, are testimonies that this violence is real. It's not only when they erase your name, when they treat you with another identity that does not belong to you. It really translates into an annihilating violence.

So, I say, yes, it is good not to show the images, but then do something about this violence, because unfortunately in the LGBTQ+ sectors themselves trans people continue to be invisibilized.

Because yes, we talk about the trans community, but no longer the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ sectors have some things in common, but what we really see is that trans lives don't matter to this country. Trans lives don't even matter to LGBTQ+ collectives, even though they added a “T.”

Thus, it is transgender people themselves who fight for their rights and who do all this in favor of the visibility of their rights and above all their right to life.

GV: On your TikTok platform, you have shared messages of pain and demands for justice for Sara. What type of responses have you received? Was there anything that especially impacted you in those exchanges?

LJ: Entre los mensajes que recibí, por supuesto, muchísimos hablaban de justicia para Sara, que cómo se cometió ese crimen, que hasta dónde hemos llegado como sociedad. Pero lastimosamente no faltan los desadaptados, sobre todo señores, algunas mujeres también, pero sobre todo hombres, que decían “justicia para” y colocaban el nombre que ya no le pertenece a ella, pues que porque es que ella se llamaba y se llama Sara, ese es el nombre de ella, Sara. Se convirtieron los videos en otro espacio más para la burla de la experiencia de vida de ella y en general en contra de las mujeres trans.

También una recibe amenazas por perfiles que ni siquiera tienen foto o nombre, donde dicen que “ojalá una sea la próxima en caer al río” o que “ojalá las mujeres trans corran con la misma suerte”. Lo usan con eufemismos para que el algoritmo de TikTok no detecte la violencia de estos comentarios, o incluso yo pienso que a veces si lo detecta pero les da igual.

LJ: Among the messages I received, of course, many spoke of justice for Sara, of how this crime was committed, of how far we have come as a society. But unfortunately, there is no lack of misfits, especially men, some women too, but mostly men, who said “justice for” followed by the name that no longer belongs to her, because she was and is called Sara. That is her name, Sara. The videos became another space for the mockery of her life experience and, in general, against trans women.

I also received threats by profiles that do not even have a photo or name, where they say that “hopefully she is next to fall into the river” or that “hopefully trans women have the same fate.” They use euphemisms so that the TikTok algorithm does not detect the violence of these comments, or I even think that sometimes it does detect it but they don't care.

GV: What real resources, whether community, institutional, or symbolic, do you consider necessary for trans women to live with dignity, security, and recognition?

LJ: Las mujeres trans necesitamos espacios reales donde podamos recibir educación en todos los niveles, donde podamos acceder al trabajo y que se nos permita trabajar, que no se siga exigiendo más cosas que las que se les piden a nuestras compañeras y compañeros. Las personas trans existimos y resistimos, pero está muy difícil la existencia en un mundo donde no nos permite la educación, donde no nos permiten los medios de trabajo.

Y pues en las familias, todavía es bien visto acá en Colombia, que si tú sabes que tu hijo o hija tiene una experiencia de vida trans, de vida no binaria, pues está normal sacarla de la casa, amenazarla de muerte y orillarla a que tenga una vida en la calle, una vida difícil. Básicamente es matarla en vida, porque esto que se les dice a las personas trans en sus familias: “para mí usted está muerto”.

Entonces a tí como pariente de una persona trans, como mamá, tía, como persona que está pendiente de esa familia, ábrele las puertas de tu casa. Permite que sea ella misma. Porque es que es muy difícil si eres una persona con experiencia de vida trans y automáticamente te quitan el derecho siquiera a ser parte de la familia.

LJ: Trans women need real spaces where we can receive education at all levels, where we can have access to work and where we are allowed to work, where more is not demanded from us than what is required of our coworkers. Trans people exist and resist, but it is very difficult to exist in a world where we are not allowed education, where we are not allowed the means to work.

And in Colombian families, it is still seen as normal that if you know that your son or daughter has a trans or non-binary life experience, to throw them out of the house, threaten them with death, and force them live on the street, a difficult life. Basically it is to kill her in life, because this is what trans people are told in their families: “you're dead to me.”

So to you as a relative of a trans person, as a mom, as an aunt, as a person responsible for that family, open your doors to them. Let her be herself. Because it is very difficult if you are a person with trans life experience and they automatically take away your right to even be part of the family.

GV: What can cisgender allies do to support trans women concretely?

LJ: Que se pronuncien ante la injusticia, no solamente a las personas trans, sino en contra de cualquier injusticia. Que si tú estás viendo que están maltratando a una persona por su identidad de género, párate en la raya y decir, “no, oye, es mi compañera, ¿qué pasó? ¿Por qué haces esto?” O sea, “¿qué te lleva a discriminar a esa persona?”

También si vamos a hablar “Con mis hijos, no te metas” [Ed.: Frase usada regularmente por movimientos anti-LGBTIQ+ que no quieren que se eduquen sobre estos temas a la niñez en las escuelas], no te metas, tú, con los hijos trans de las personas, no te metas con las infancias trans. Si te importan realmente las infancias, defiende las infancias trans. Permíteles que no sean maltratadas por sus profesores, por sus compañeros.

LJ: To speak out against injustice, not only against trans people, but against any injustice. If you are seeing a person being mistreated because of their gender identity, put your foot down and say, “No, hey, she is my friend, what what's going on? Why are you doing this?” In other words, “Why are you discriminating against this person?”

Also, if we're going to talk about “Don't mess with my kids” [a phrase regularly used by anti-LGBTQ+ movements that do not want children to be educated about these issues in schools], then you don't mess with people's trans children. If you really care about children, stand up for trans children. Let them not be mistreated by their teachers, by their peers.

GV: Why should this fight speak to everyone? What is at stake for society in general?

LJ: Nos interpela a toda la sociedad en su conjunto porque es que esto es una condición de nacimiento. Las personas trans nacemos personas que van a ser mujeres, que van a ser hombres, personas no binarias… y esto hace parte de la diversidad. Esto no es, como lo repito y lo reitero, no es por incomodar. Nacemos así. Nadie quiere nacer en un grupo que va a ser discriminado, odiado.

¿Quién en su sano juicio, sabiendo que le puede pasar o le van a hacer lo que le hicieron a Sara, va a presentarse como mujer trans? O sea, yo invito a la sociedad a que piense en eso.

Tú, que tanto odio tienes hacia nosotras, pregúntate: ¿qué es lo que te lleva a odiar? Acaso es algo que estás por descubrir en tu cuerpo o en tu ser, y no lo has descubierto o ya lo descubriste y lo odias: abrázate, abrázate, ámate, descúbrete. Deja de odiar y ama a quien eres, ama a esa naturaleza, porque muchas de estas personas que generan tanto odio es porque tienen un rechazo hacia sí mismas y no se conocen.

Y esa es la principal diferencia entre personas cis y trans: que las personas trans, sí nos tocó todo ese proceso de conocernos, de saber quiénes somos, mientras que las personas cis pues nacen así y ya, no tienen esa necesidad de preguntarse quiénes son.

En cambio, las personas trans, sí o sí, nos toca hacerlo. Entonces, recuerda que esos odios, como tan absurdos, hablan más de ti que de las personas a las que estás odiando. No cierren sus puertas a conocer a personas maravillosas, a conocer esa diversidad tan maravillosa del ser humano.

LJ: It speaks to all of society as a whole because this is a condition of birth. Trans people are born as people who are going to be women, who are going to be men, non-binary people… and this is part of diversity. This is not about making people uncomfortable. We are born this way. Nobody wants to be born in a group that is going to be discriminated against and hated.

Who in their right mind, knowing that what they did to Sara could happen to them or will happen to them, is going to present themselves as a trans woman? I invite society to think about that.

You, who hate us so much, ask yourself: what is it that makes you hate? Maybe it is something that you are about to discover in your body or in your being, and you have not uncovered yet or you have already discovered it and you hate it: embrace yourself, hold yourself, love yourself, discover yourself. Stop hating and love who you are, love that nature, because for many of these people who generate so much hate, it is because they reject themselves and do not know themselves.

And that is the main difference between cis and trans people: that trans people, we had to go through the whole process of getting to know ourselves, of knowing who we are, while cis people are born that way and that's it, they don't have that need to ask themselves who they are.

On the other hand, trans people have no choice in the matter, we have to do [this soul-searching]. So remember that this hatred, so absurd, speak more about you than about the people you are hating. Do not close your doors to meeting wonderful people and knowing the wonderful diversity of human beings.

GV: Lastly, if you had the opportunity to speak directly with trans people across the whole world, what would you like to say to them?

LJ: Hermanas, hermanos y hermanes del mundo, la lucha continúa. Ustedes, personas trans, personas no binarias, son seres maravillosos. En estos tiempos de odio y persecución, mi corazón está con ustedes. Basta ya de ocultarnos, no podemos seguir viviendo en las sombras.

La sociedad odia lo diferente. Seamos visibles, enseñemosle que aquí estamos. Que siempre hemos existido y que siempre existiremos. Ya basta ocultarnos, no podemos seguir viviendo en las sombras.

Tenemos el mismo derecho de existir. Basta ya de ocultarnos. Salgamos.

LJ: Sisters, brothers, and siblings of the world, the struggle continues. You, trans people, non-binary people, are wonderful beings. In these times of hate and persecution, my heart goes out to you. Enough hiding, we can no longer live in the shadows.

Society hates what is different. Let's be visible, let's show them that we are here. That we have always existed and that we will always exist. Enough hiding, we cannot continue living in the shadows.

We have the same right to exist. Enough hiding. Let's go out.