Gisberta Salce Júnior

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Gisberta Salce Júnior was a trans woman, Brazilian immigrant, who did sex work, lived with HIV/AIDS and was homeless in the city of Porto in Portugal.^[1]

Salce left Brazil for France at the age of 18 to escape a wave of homicides against transgender people in São Paulo and, at the age of 20, arrived in Portugal. In 2006, after several days of physical and sexual assaults, victim of transphobia, by a group of 14 boys between 12 and 16 years old, she was found dead in a well, in Porto, at 45.^[1][2][3]

Life[]

Origins and youth[]

Angelina Muro Salce and Gisberto Salce, Gisberta's mother and father, had eight children. Gisberta, was assigned as a male at birth, and was named after her father, Gisberto, with the nickname "Júnior" being added. Later, the name "Gisberto" fell and Gisberta Salce adopted the name by which she is known today, in order to recognize her gender identity.^[1]

According to her sister Jacine Salce, who was 12 years old when Gisberta Salce was born, Gisberta had “a mimosa skin, very white” and always "really liked to dance". Jacine also says that Gisberta wore her sister's clothes and that she considered Gisberta to be her "toy doll." Gisberta Salce, according to her sister, "liked to play with the girls and we didn't care".^[1]

Mother Angelina came to feel that something was wrong with the newest member of the family. One day, she was even taken to a doctor and told that she was like that because of "excessive pampering". The child grew up and, at the age of 14, after the father died, she warned the mother that she “was going to be a woman”.^[1]

Gisberta Salce had a feminine gender expression in the home of friends, and in the presence of the family, she opted for clothes that were more free of gender overtones. At the age of 18, she decided to leave the country and leave for France after news of discrimination and transphobia-related deaths at Casa Verde, in São Paulo.^[1]

In the middle she returned to Brazil, underwent hormones, put silicone and other procedures on her face. She spent two years in France and went to Portugal, having settled in Porto, where she would end up spending the last 20 years of her life.^[1]

First years in Portugal[]

Salce started doing shows on the stage of bars in bars like Bustos, Syndicato and Kilt, one of the first gay bars in Porto, in the galleries of Hotel Malaposta, where Salce started to appear.^[1] Salce, in her presentations, often personified Marilyn Monroe.^[1] During the day, Salce used to have coffee with her friends and walk her two dogs.^[1]

Sex work[]

Salce was doing sex work on Rua de Santa Catarina. She earned little money from her stage shows.^[1] Sex work had been part of Salce practically since arriving in Portugal.

Health[]

Her health worsened due to drug use and the result of HIV infection. She started to appear in the associations Migalha de Amor and Espaço Pessoa to eat, bathe and talk. Nuno Câmara Lima, a nurse who worked on a Espaço Pessoa project that “supported people who performed sex work”, some with drug use, others with sexually transmitted infections, accompanied Salce.^[1] Nuno Câmara Lima's first contact with Salce had happened years before, in the heyday of the Brazilian immigrant.^[1] Salce lived with HIV and never wanted to receive treatment, an option she kept until the end.^[1]

Salce's medical history included a vast list of illnesses. According to what was found by the investigation, Salce has been living with HIV since at least 1996. In addition, she was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia and , which, according to clinical reports, caused her asthenia, anorexia, fever, anemia, difficulties respiratory and myalgia.^[1]

Salce received treatment at Hospital Joaquim Urbano for 22 days, despite being undocumented. Afterwards, she was still in a therapeutic community in Setúbal but fled.^[1]

Homelessness[]

After leaving the therapeutic community she began to consume “heavier” drugs. This led to the loss of her home and primary source of income.^[1]

“She started going to houses with lower and lower incomes, then she passed through several social districts, until she fell into that hole”, points out Nuno Lima, referring to the tent that she set up in the building on Avenida Fernão de Magalhães. The disease took away her livelihood: sex work.^[1]

Salce was “loved by all the nurses” and “showed pictures of the family, showed pictures of her as a young girl, a girl”. In her 40s, she arrived at Espaço Pessoa, drank coffee, ate anything, watched television, talked for a while, stayed for a few hours. "She would come at midnight and go to her corner."^[1]

They visited the space only after death, in photographs, part of the material to report the events.^[1]

Salce was also supported by “Coração da Cidade”, the social department of “Migalha de Amor”. The association founded by La Salete Correia dos Santos, gave dinner to about a thousand homeless people. Salce was one of them.^[1]

Last months of life[]

At the end of 2005, three teenagers, Fernando, Ivo and Flávio started to get together to make graffiti in an abandoned building in Porto. Salce was living in a tent inside the same building. Fernando's mother was a sex worker and the child was left with a babysitter. This house was frequented "by people associated with the nightlife of Porto" and it was precisely there that Fernando's mother and her son began to relate to Salce. The contact was lost for some time. Later, at the age of 14, it was Fernando who identified Salce in the abandoned building where he, along with Ivo and Flávio, was busy painting murals.^[1]

The three boys talked to her and, from there, began to visit her regularly. Between one conversation and another, Salce "told them about the health problems she suffered from", verbalized her weakness, AIDS, a syndrome "whose external physical signs all those minors were well aware of". From there, the three minors began to take food to Salce. In addition, they arrived “to cook meals for her on the spot”, as stated in the process.^[1]

Disclosure of Gisberta Salce's existence[]

Fernando, Ivo and Flávio spoke of "a man who 'had breasts' and 'really looked like a woman'" to colleagues at Escola Augusto César Pires de Lima and Oficina de São José, an institution under the tutelage of the Catholic Church that hosted 11 of the 14 boys, meanwhile closed after several scandals with sexual abuse and embezzlement, in addition to the suicide of a director in the heat phase of the trial. The three youngsters were joined by eleven, eager to see Salce.^[1]

First aggressions[]

That building became a meeting point to attack the Brazilian immigrant. Not everyone attacked her, nor did everyone do so on the same day. But, as of February 15, 2006, the 14 youths were divided into groups and were in the building to attack Gisberta Salce.^[1]

In one of the first episodes, the minors noticed that Salce was inside the tent and one of them ordered her to get up and shouted: "Didn't I tell you that I didn't want you here?" Salce left the tent, while replying that she had nowhere to go. Continuous action, Flávio wielded a stone that he had equipped and threw it in the direction of the woman, hitting her in the frontal region and in the anterior part of the left parietal region.^[1]

Salce fell to the ground bleeding. A few minutes later, she managed to get up but David crawled over her, causing her to fall again. There, all the elements, with the exception of Vítor Santos, threw themselves on Salce and together attacked her with sticks and kick. With the pain, Salce started to scream and the group ran away for fear of being surprised by the security guards in the parking lot that was close to the building.^[1]

The same initial group of three, who came to cook rice in that place for Salce, met the next day, on February 16, to now attack her there. When they arrived at her hut, they realized that Salce's illness had worsened due to the attacks of the previous day, preventing her even from standing. Salce was lying on a mattress, shivered, spoke in an almost inaudible tone and had dried blood on her head. The three minors asked Salce if she wanted help, and she replied that she "just wanted a cigarette and to be left alone".^[1]

The three left and went to classes, but were soon replaced by six from the same group. José António told José Alexandre to undress “Gi” but he refused because Salce “smelled bad and had AIDS”. So the first teamed up with Jorge Ismael and together they were busy throwing stones and hitting clubs on the knees and legs. Salce shouted and the group fled for a few moments.^[1]

They went back to Salce, ordered her to get up again, she answered again that she couldn't, and they hit her again with sticks and kicked her, according to what is read in the file. Lying on the floor and unable to defend herself due to her physical weakness and the numerical superiority of the aggressors, Salce just cringed and covered with the blanket, shouting "don't do this, hooligans!" After these aggressions the youngsters destroyed Gisberta's tent.^[1]

Last days[]

February 18, 2006[]

By 2:30 pm, Gisberta Salce was outside the tent, lying on her side, covered with a blanket and only with her head uncovered. David, one of the six who had again agreed to go to the building to attack Salce, ordered Salce to get up. She replied that she couldn't do it “because she was in a very bad state”. He kicked her again. "During the assaults, the victim cried convulsively, due to the pain she felt." Even so, “the minors continued to attack her in the same way”. David even grabbed a wooden beam about 1.5 meters long and 20 centimeters in diameter and dropped it on her body, striking her level with her abdomen. Such a blow "caused great suffering", concluded the investigation of the case.^[1]

February 19, 2006[]

Part of the group was going to follow the aggression routine when they came across a Salce lying on the floor, dressed in a nightgown and naked from the waist down. Completely moveless. They called her, but Salce was unable to speak. She just let out a very low moan. She was then touched on the legs with a stick but she didn't move.^[1]

February 21, 2006[]

A day passed and, on February 21, another part of the group returned. Salce was outside the tent, lying on some rocks, "with her legs curled up". On her legs were “scratches and eccymoses”. Salce was still naked from the waist down.^[1]

They thought Salce was dead, proving it was the lack of an answer to the minors' questions, the pallor of her face and some "signs that she was not breathing, despite having placed the flame of a lit lighter next to her mouth". That day, they warned other members of the group that Salce had died.^[1]

The next day's meeting was now to "dispose of the body" - because they feared being held responsible and for "some of them thinking that the victim was entitled to 'a funeral'". The possibility of burial was ruled out, as they lacked the tools to make a hole and set the body of the Brazilian trans woman on fire for fear that the smoke might attract the attention of someone, namely the car park security.

After more ideas, they chose to launch it into an existing well in the building. Because the place had enough water to hide the victim. Then they agreed to collect all the sticks that had been used for the attacks.^[1]

Final day: February 22, 2006[]

It was 8:30. Ivo put on a woolen glove on his right hand, gave the other to José Alexandre and Fernando wrapped his hands in a plastic bag. They wrapped Salce in blankets, still in the basement, and transported her to the well. It was 100 meters away.^[1]

The water line was about 10 meters from the surface. The three pushed her inside and Salce was submerged in the water. And it was this act that caused the death - Salce, a trans woman, Brazilian immigrant, sex worker and homeless person, who lived with HIV, was still alive and died by drowning, confirmed the autopsy report to the body . It was now up to the minors to warn others.^[1]

The group that shot Salce warned the rest of the members that the case was resolved. The information was passed on to Flávio and from there it jumped into the world: when he returned to school, Flávio told the class director about the facts in the Civic Training class because he “couldn't take it anymore”.^[1]

The teacher later confirmed to the court that both Flávio and Ivo were “very pale” and that “when Fernando also confirmed what had happened, he cried a lot”. It was Flávio who gave the PSP the exact location of the well. The agents followed the directions. The corpse was retrieved at 6:50 pm.^[1]

Homicide Process[]

Thus began the six months of investigation and trial, which involved much more than a group of kids and a trans woman. Scandals at the Oficina de São José entered the process, LGBT associations were involved and everything appeared on newspaper pages.^[1]

The news of the death (and the successive aggressions) aroused in the technicians a feeling of responsibility for what had happened.^[1]

The Judiciary Police seized several objects at the scene. Among them were:^[1]

• A yellow blanket
• A blue knitted sweater
• Pieces of newspaper
• Empty drink packs
• A black shoe
• Various condoms
• Parlodel 2.5 mg tablets
• A comb
• An eye liner
• Two lipsticks
• A user card from the institution “Coração da Cidade” with the number 132
• A prescription from Hospital Joaquim Urbano

Autopsy[]

The autopsy confirmed injuries to the head, neck, lower and upper limbs, larynx and trachea, abdomen, intestines and kidneys; multiple ecchymoses, hemorrhagic infiltrations, excoriations and blood infiltrations.^[1]

Sentences[]

Vitor Santos[]

Vítor Santos was the oldest in the group and the only one at 16 years old. Since he had already reached the age of criminal responsibility, which is 16 in Portugal, the process went to the Criminal Courts. He was sentenced to eight months in prison for committing the crime of omission of aid, since everyone assured that Santos did not attack Salce. He did, several times, take the position of observer of events.^[1]

In a first phase, the other 13 minors were held responsible for the “committing as co-offenders a crime of aggravated murder, of attempted form and with possible intent”. But the autopsy found drowning to be the cause of death, not aggression. Thus, eleven of these were charged with the practice of a crime of qualified bodily harm and the remaining two were only charged with the crime of failure to provide assistance. The measures applied also differed: those eleven were admitted to an Educational Center between 11 and 13 months and the remaining two were charged with the tutelary measure of educational follow-up for 12 months. Between July and September 2007 they will be free.^[1]

José António[]

After being heard by the court, José António's mother described her son as "an affable young man", always with "good behavior". Experts found “flaws” in emotional expressiveness and the boy's difficulties in dealing with emotions.^[1]

After serving time at the Educational Center, where he attended the Multipurpose Atelier with the subjects of Aluminum, Citizenship, Carpentry, Visual Arts and Electricity, and with special interest in the area of aluminum, José António returned to his mother's house, on the south bank of the Tagus. About the incident was never talked at home again.^[1]

Rodolfo[]

After the trial that ended the case, Rodolfo fulfilled the internment measure at the educational center and kept in touch with his family. In an initial phase, the grandfather adopted an “excusing” attitude towards his grandson and showed a critical attitude towards the rules of the institution.^[1]

Fernando[]

During the auditions, the minor's mother confirmed the acquaintance and assured that Fernando “always dealt with the difference of Gisberta without any problem”. She says that her son did not tell her that he had found her again, but "she noticed that sometimes food was missing at home". The mother stressed that the son “never managed to give her an explanation for what had happened”.^[1]

Fernando went to his mother's house when he finished serving time.^[1]

Legacy[]

Gisberta Salce was identified as a symbol of multiple discrimination: trans woman, Brazilian immigrant, sex worker, homeless person and person living with HIV. It was adopted by LGBT associations as an example of prejudice.^[1]

Since 2011, there is no need to go to court to change the name and civil sex. Currently, Portuguese transgender people need only be 18, or 16, with specific measures. But immigrants are not included in this, like Gisberta Salce. This is one of the problems pointed out by Júlia Pereira: “Gisberta is a symbol. We are only satisfied when the legislation includes women like Gisberta”.^[1]

Marcha do Orgulho LGBT do Porto[]

This event that had its genesis with the brutal death of Gisberta Salce Júnior, in 2006, has been increasing its participants with each edition.^[4]

The march started in Praça 24 de Agosto to July 2006, a place chosen to remember the trans woman murdered by a group of minors, who started the same week of the march to be tried in Porto.^[4]

"We want to remember Gisberta and all the Gisbertas in this country, as well as all the abused, murdered children, thrown into the river, those who disappear and women raped by their husbands, because this action was organized in defense of human rights," said João Paulo, of the organization and the Portugal Gay association. In honor of Salce, bouquets of flowers were deposited at the place where she was found dead.^[4]

Many of the protesters sported pictures of Salce and others displayed banners where messages such as "I am a transsexual and I do not want to be murdered", "I am not ashamed, I have reasons" and "Educating without discrimination", among others.^[4]

At the end of the march, a manifest was read and distributed with the main demands of the organizers of the initiative.^[4] From the set of requirements, we highlight a profound restructuring of the protection system for minors at risk in Portugal and the explicit inclusion of gender identity in anti-discriminatory legislation and protection in criminal legislation against hate crimes motivated by transphobia.^[4]

Inspiration for artists[]

The case has inspired artists.^[5]

Poem "Indulgência Plenária"[]

A year after the events, Alberto Pimenta published “Indulgência Plenária”, a poem in the form of elegy that evokes the figure of Gisberta Salce.^[5]

"Balada de Gisberta"[]

That year, Pedro Abrunhosa composed “Balada de Gisberta”, which he included in the album Luz. Later, Maria Bethânia interpreted this song, closing with her the first act of her show Amor Festa Devoção (2009).^[5]

Short-film "A Gis"[]

Thiago Carvalhaes dedicated a short film, “A Gis”, in 2016.^[5] "What got me involved first was the song, 'Balada de Gisberta', composed by Pedro Abrunhosa, in the version sung by Maria Betânia", revealed Carvalhaes.^[5] “I wanted to know more. The information was scarce, difficult to find. "Some were wrong”, he continues. The fact that Brazil is one of the countries that have the most cases of violence against transgender people has only helped to increase his “indignation”.^[5]

Gisberta Salce in the theatrical world[]

The same interpretation by Maria Betânia awoke the actor Luis Lobianco. The play “Gisberta”, with text by Rafael Souza-Ribeiro and staging by Renato Carrera, was on stage on 27 and 28 November 2018 at Teatro Sá da Bandeira, in Porto, and on 4,5 and 6 December 2018 at the Tivoli Theater in Lisbon.^[5]

In a short exchange of messages with Ípsilon, the production director for that show, Cláudia Marques, speaks of “indignation”, but also of “hope for change”. "Brazil lives in dark days, when setbacks threaten historical conquests and threaten individual freedoms", she comments. “I believe in the theater because it is an agent of resistance and transformation. Through Gis's story, I believe that we can speak to the public about respect for diversity and life.”^[5]

There was a theatrical show in Portugal before. Inventing a mother, Eduardo Gaspar first wrote a short version of the monologue “Gisberta” for actress Rita Ribeiro, who in 2013 sold out Teatro Rápido. He later made a longer version, which debuted in Funchal the following year.^[5]

Pão de Açúcar[]

Pão de Açúcar, the second novel by Afonso Reis Cabral, is fiction that springs from reality, the death of Gisberta Salce Júnior. Starting from a research work, he invents the perspective of one of the 14 boys who assaulted the trans woman in 2006.^[5]

In 2016, several media outlets tried to mark the tenth anniversary of that death, which paved the way for the fight for the right to gender identity in Portugal. When confronted with that crime again, Afonso Reis Cabral realized that his second novel was there.^[5]

#AnoGisberta[]

The Ação pela Identidade defined 2016 as the #AnoGisberta, regarding the 10 years of the death of the trans woman. There were posters scattered around Lisbon with the image of the woman and an exhibition of works at Maus Hábitos, in Porto, and a debate at the Confraria Vermelha Livraria de Mulheres on invisibility and transphobia, also in Porto.^[1]

Centro Gis[]

The Centro Gis, responding to LGBTI populations (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex) created by Associação Plano i, opened in 2017, pays homage to Gisberta Salce Júnior, with her name.^[6]

Street Gisberta Salce Júnior[]

In 2010, four years after the death of a woman who became a symbol for her entire community, the artistic project “Viver a Rua”, developed by a partnership of NEC - Nucleus of Choreographic Experimentation and inserted in the program of FITEI - Festival International Theater of Iberian Expression, asked all its participants for a list of 10 names of people to hand over to the Toponymy Commission of the city of Porto to grant the street layout. Gisberta Salce's name was the most mentioned and the project organizers sent the petition to the commission, from which they received no response.^[7]

Nine years had to pass to register a new mobilization around the cause, this time led by Sara Barros Leitão. After her show “Todos Os Dias Me Sujo De Coisas Eternas”, in 2019, the actress asked all the spectators to sign a letter with the same objective as the one in 2010: to put Salce's name on a street. Delivered it the following year, in March 2020, the only response the request got was an automatic e-mail acknowledging receipt of it.^[7]

To the PÚBLICO, the Toponymy Commission confirmed that it voted on the proposals on the allocation of a street layout to Salce, but they were not approved, because the majority of the committee's voters gave a negative opinion. In 2010, when the first petition was delivered, only the current Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, and the writer Hélder Pacheco voted in favor of attributing the street layout.^[7]

References[]