In a country marked by social stratification, deep-rooted conservatism, and intersecting forms of marginalization, Mujeres trans en el Perú: Historias de vida e identidad (Trans Women in Peru: Life Stories and Identity) by Ximena Salazar stands as a groundbreaking and deeply humanizing contribution to Peruvian gender studies.
More than just a book, it is a testimony, an archive of resistance, and an essential lens into what it means to be a transgender woman in contemporary Peru. By focusing on the lived experiences of seven trans women from Lima, Ayacucho, and Iquitos, Salazar crafts a careful and poignant anthropological inquiry that privileges the voices of her subjects over academic abstraction.
One of the book’s most commendable strengths lies in its refusal to center solely on the author’s analytical voice. While Salazar, an anthropologist and academic, does provide a thorough theoretical framework, the heart of the book beats with the voices of the seven women whose stories she documents. These are women whose trans identities are not lived in isolation from the realities of poverty, racism, exclusion, and migration. Most of them come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and several are internal migrants navigating life far from their native lands. As such, their experiences reveal the multifaceted oppression that trans women face in Peru, an oppression that is not only gender-based, but also shaped by class, ethnicity, and geography.
The book is divided into two main sections. The first provides a robust theoretical foundation, clarifying key concepts such as sex, gender, sexuality, identity, and transsexuality. This part serves as a necessary entry point for readers unfamiliar with gender theory or the sociopolitical realities of trans people in Latin America. Salazar navigates this terrain with precision and care, offering readers a clear understanding of the terminologies and frameworks that underpin the rest of the book.
The second section dives into the ethnographic core: the life stories of seven trans women. These narratives are presented with analytical sensitivity but without diluting the raw, often painful honesty of the women’s voices. Through their testimonies, readers are invited into complex journeys of identity formation, stories shaped not just by inner transformations but by the families, schools, partners, and social networks that either embraced or rejected them. Themes such as sex work and migration are approached not as sensational details, but as vital elements of the women’s survival strategies and identity journeys.
One of the book’s most important contributions is its rigorous application of an intersectional lens. The analysis does not reduce trans identity to a singular axis of difference but insists on understanding how gender identity intersects with socioeconomic status, race, and geographic displacement. For example, the life of a trans woman navigating the streets of Lima may differ dramatically from that of a trans woman in Ayacucho or Iquitos, not only due to regional disparities, but because of the differing ways communities police gender norms, access to health services, and economic opportunity.
In this way, Salazar avoids the trap of universalizing the trans experience. Instead, she presents a spectrum of realities that highlight the diversity and complexity of trans womanhood in Peru. Her work reinforces the idea that transphobia cannot be understood without also considering racism, poverty, and institutional neglect.
The book is the product of a collaborative research effort by Ximena Salazar, Jana Villayzan, and Alfonso Silva Santisteban at the Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Salud, Sida y Sociedad at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH). Funded by amfAR – The Foundation for AIDS Research, the project reflects a commitment not only to academic excellence, but to public health, social justice, and community empowerment.
Moreover, part of the research that led to this publication formed the basis of Salazar’s doctoral thesis in Anthropology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, underscoring the academic depth and intellectual rigor behind this work. Yet the text never becomes inaccessible or overly theoretical, it maintains an approachable tone that invites broader readership, from fellow scholars and activists to health workers, policymakers, and trans readers themselves.
Mujeres trans en el Perú is more than just a national case study, it contributes to a growing body of Latin American feminist and queer scholarship that demands attention. In a region where trans women are often subjected to brutal violence, institutional neglect, and systemic marginalization, this book provides a space for their narratives to be heard, analyzed, and honored.
Through its ethnographic richness, theoretical depth, and ethical commitment to its subjects, Ximena Salazar’s work has set a new standard for how we study gender, identity, and marginalization. It is a must-read for anyone interested in anthropology, gender studies, Latin American studies, and human rights. More importantly, it is an invitation to listen, to truly listen, to the voices of trans women in Peru, in all their complexity, resilience, and humanity.
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