**Transcripts of speeches in English & Spanish, as well as video, are forthcoming.**

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Victoria Arellano was a 23 year old transgender woman who died because she was denied medical treatment for HIV-AIDS while in detention for her immigration status.

Tonight's vigil was intended to honor Victoria's life as an immigrant, a person with AIDS, and a transgendered woman, and to bring attention to the denial of humane medical care being given to immigrants in ICE detention. The vigil speakers will also demand accountability for her needless death by calling on Congress to conduct an independent hearing into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Coalitions and allies need to be made between groups who may appear to be different, but are all really longing for the same ideals, and are being hurt by the same enemy.

In this case, immediate bonding must take place between LGBT communities and immigrant communities. Both parties are under attack by the same inhumane right wing. Recently, the political wedge was the same sex marriage issue, now it's becoming the immigrant issue. These items are what the right wing is using to steer right wing voters to the polls. And we all need to take a stand together in solidarity, NOW, because there should not be so many little teams all independently fighting against the same "big bad" team, but one new and improved team, consisting of all the little teams coming together to mobilize as ONE, to dismantle this "big bad" team, which is only so "big" because we allow it to be so by being so divided.

In mid July, trans woman Victoria Arrellano died in immigrant detention. Arrellano had AIDS, and was living due to the medication she was receiving, however, once detained; she was not given the right medication, although she repeatedly asked to see the doctor. Arrellano knew exactly was her prescription was, in fact, it is well known in the medical field what the treatment for her disease is. She pleaded to her captors for mercy, and was denied. She spent the last weeks of her life begging to live, as her body was ravaged by the virus. Instead of a nurse, her fellow detainees cared for her the best way they could, and they even protested for her right to be treated by chanting "hospital...hospital" over and over again. Her being trans was overlooked by the inmates, and the movement that stirred all the detainees to action was that of humanity, which should bind all of us, regardless of our supposed differences. Sadly, even the entire group's voices were ignored, and Victoria passed away in a hospital due to lack of medical treatment.

Arrelano had once been a patient of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center's state of the art AIDS clinic. Lorri L. Jean, the Chief Executive Officer of the Center, stated "Given today's medications, people with HIV at the stage that Victoria was at do not decline that quickly. And I have no doubt in my mind that Victoria died because she was denied the medications that she needed to stay alive". Jean and her staff recently had a meeting with U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) to discuss what happened.

Unfortunately, this outrage is not an isolated incident, in fact, 3 other deaths were reported in the same week in immigration detainment through out the country. There have been over 60 cases (reported) total. But what makes this particular case so strong, is that Arrelano was in detention for weeks, long enough for them to know how to treat her, but instead, she was just shackled to her bed, as she vomited. The appalling and horrendous conditions of the medical treatment of immigrants being held in custody is unconstitutional, and barbaric, and will have to be revised. The lack of standards system responsible for these senseless deaths (one would dare say murders) needs to be examined. There has to be accountability for these tragic losses and the authorities need to enforce action. A independent/public investigation and oversight needs to be done by the federal government on Victoria's death, because an investigation from only the immigrant department will not be sufficient (because they would basically just be doing an investigation on themselves, and we know what that means- are they really going to want to incriminate their own people?!). Pressure needs to be placed on Congress members to protect the human rights of immigrants, even if they are in detention. Yes, many Congress members will find it politically risky to stick up for immigrants, but if enough people urge them to, it will make a difference. Please ask your Congress person to have this case investigated.

Again, all oppressed people will be so much stronger in their quest for freedom and respect if we just realize that our causes are all so similar, and devote time and energy to what appears not to be just our specific struggle. We all are pieces of the same puzzle...all connected. Once we act in accordance to this, the swifter and more productive our victory/Victoria over tyranny will be. Victoria's death has given more birth to the strong and powerful alignment of the LGBT and immigrant communities, which will help weaken the dark forces that want to persecute us all.

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transcript of the speech that Bamby Salcedo gave (in English)

Justice for Victoria!

Good evening everyone, we are here to let the authorities and political representatives that is not ok the atrocities that continue to happen to our community.

Victoria’s case is very similar to the cases that many of us transgender go through, unfortunately something very sad and dramatic has to happen for our community to react and open their eyes, even though Victoria sadly was an example we are her to say enough is enough!!

I am one of those trans woman who more than in one occation had to go through mistreatments and unjustice from the authorities, I’ve lived what is being beaten and mistreated by the authorities, those who are suppose to protect you while we are incarcerated…

It is not our fault that certain people cant deal with their own prejudice, it is not our fault to be how we are, it is not our fault that HIV and AIDS exists in the world, it is not our fault that we become infected with HIV. One thing I know for sure, we deserve to live like every other person however that may be and one of the ways to live with dignity is to be able to have access to HIV medications that can prolong our lives.


The transgender community have rights inside and outside jails and institutions, those rights are HUMAN RIGHTS! Everyone earns them when one is born, no one entity or human being has a right to decide to end our lifes but in Victorias case this was exactly what happened, “they” desided not to give her the medications that she needed to prolong her life.

I blame the inadecuate system that exist in the federal prisons of the whole country for not provide the needed capacity building, apropriate education, and skills to be able to combact and deal with HIV and ultimately AIDS.

Its almost imposible to believe that after twenty six years in to this pandemic there is still ignorancein the federal judicial system and do not have the appropriate means to provide competent care for people who has HIV/AIDS, just in California there are some institutions that I know like Callifornia City, Santa Ana, and San Pedro how we are witnessing now. I can almost asure you that the mayority of doctors and nurses that work at this facilities have no knowledge of new updated medications that help prolong peoples lives.

We understand that keeping us in jails is a business, but our lives are not for your business, the system has no right to kill us, if you are keeping us in the jails and detention centers for your business, the least you can do is provide us with the appropriate medications for HIV/AIDS and hormones.

We have a right to live and you must give us medications for HIV/AIDS, the government has very easy access to this medications, oviously they don’t care about us other wisse they would already had taken steps in to account… Enough! If the government don’t care we have people that care for and about us… we have our families, our community, we are human beings and we are valuable!

Enough unjustices, stop discriminating against us because of who we are!! To those who judge us… have you ever done a personal inventory?

No one has the right to take any bodys life, no one had a right to denied Victoria her medications, and no one has a right to mistreat my communit! My community is each one of you, when you are discriminated against, I am being discriminated against, when you are mistreated, I am being mistreated,

I was Victoria ones when I was in jail trying to get help from the gards when more than ones I was mistreated, today I am Victoria yelling out lowd Enough injustice for our sisters and brothers!

We are calling our elected officials to hear our needs and to understand that we don’t deserve this type of unjustice.

That is why I say….

Que queremos? Justicia!

Cuando? Ahora!

Victoria is not alone!!

JUSTICIA PARA VICTORIA:

Buenas noches a todas las personas presentes, estamos aqui para hacer saber a las autoridades y representantes politicos que no esta bien las injusticias que le continuan pasando a nuestra communidad.

El caso de Victoria es muy similar a los que muchas otras personas transgenero pasan, pero inafortunadamente una desgracia siempre tiene que pasar para que nuestra comunidad abra los ojos y reaccionemos, y aunque Victoria tuvo que ser el ejemplo estamos aqui para decir Basta!

Yo soy una de esas personas que ha tenido que pasar por este tipo de injusticias y maltratos por parte de las autoridades, yo se lo que es ser golpeada y maltratada por las personas que supuestamente nos deven de cuidar cuando estamos presas.

Nosotros no tenemos la culpa que las personas no puedan lidiar con sus propios perjuicios, nosotros no tenemos la culpa de ser como somos, nosotros no tenemos la culpa de que exista el VIH y SIDA, nosotros no tenemos la culpa de infectarnos con el VIH pero si se que nosotros tenemos derecho a vivir como cualquier otra persona de cualquier manera que sea, y una de esas maneras es prolongar nuestras vidas con medicamentos para combatir el VIH.

La comunidad transgenero dentro y fuera de las carceles tenemos derechos y son los derechos humanos, se nos han dado desde el momento en que nacemos, ninguna persona o entidad tiene el derecho de decider quitarnos la vida y en el caso de Victoria eso fue lo que hicieron dicidieron no darle medicamentos para combatir el SIDA, esos medicamentos le podrian haber dado vida. Yo culpo a el sistema tan inadecuado que existe en las carceles federales de todo el pais por no tener la capacitacion y la educacion appropiada para poder lidiar con el VIH y ultimadamente el SIDA.

Como se puede creer que despues de 26 anos de esta pandemia aun exista tanta ignorancia en el sistema judicial federal de este pais y que no tengan los medios para poder dar atencion a las personas que viven con VIH y SIDA, simplemente aqui en California he sabido de varias prisiones y centros de detencion como California City, Santa Ana, y San Pedro como lo estamos viendo ahora. Casi esta visto que enfermeros y doctores que trabajan en estas prisiones estan tan primitivos en el aspecto del VIH que no saben ni cuales son los medicamentos ayudan a la gente a prolongar su vida hoy en dia.

Sabemos que el mantenernos en la carcel es un negocio, pero nuestras vidas no son para su negocio el sistema no tiene derecho a matarnos, si quieren hacer negocio con nosotras lo menos que pueden hacer es mantenernos con vida con medicamentos para conbatir el VIH.

Tenemos derecho a vivir y su dever es darnos medicamentos que nos prolongen la vida, El gobierno tiene un accesso muy facil a estos medicamentos, y si no lo hacen o no lo han hecho es por que en realidad no les importamos; pero basta ya si les somos importantes a alguien y esas personas son nuestras familias y nuestra comunidad, somos personas, somos seres humanos y valemos!!

Basta a las injusticias, basta de estar senalandonos y de descriminarnos como somos, todos aquellos que nos jusgan acaso se han hecho un inventario personal? Nadie tiene el derecho sobre la vida de otra persona, nadie tuvo el derecho de negarle sus medicamentos a Victoria y nadie tiene el derecho de maltratar a mi comunidad mi comunidad son cada una de ustedes, cuando a ustedes las senalan a mi me estan senalando, cuando a ustedes las maltratan a mi me estan maltratando, Yo era Victoria cuando una vez estubo presa y busque ayuda con los guardias por los maltratos recividos, pero ahora yo soy Victoria diciendoles esta noche que ya basta de injusticias para nosotros.

A nuestros oficiales elegidos les hacemos un llamado para que escuchen nuestras necesidades y actuen y se den cuenta que este tipo de injusticias no nos las merecemos.

Es por eso que digo….

Que queremos? Justicia!

Cuando? Ahora!