MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Border Guard officer announces change in gender perception

Debrabandere is single and has two daughters from previous relationships, the last one with a woman he met while stationed in Haiti

An Argentine Border Guard (Gendarmería Nacional) officer has told his superiors that he self-perceived as a woman and would henceforth adopt such an identity.

Commander Marcelo Miguel Debrabandere, 43, Deputy Chief at Squadron 35 in El Bolsón, in the Patagonian province of Río Negro, wrote a note to Major Commander Darío Javier Moyano telling him about the new decision:

”I inform the [Squadron] Chief, that, pursuant to Law No. 26,743 (Gender Identity), as of the date signed, the undersigned, perceives himself as a WOMAN. Likewise, I inform you that the situation described above, will not demand for the moment, changes in the registration status of the undersigned.“

In addition, a long audio file of Commander Debrabandere went viral: ”Due to the information that has been disclosed, the first thing I have to tell you is that it is true, I perceived myself as a woman last Friday. And it is in accordance with the Law, no more. I am not going to tell you about that, nor am I going to explain it to you. I am within the law,“ she said.

”The only thing I am telling you, also, that does not imply that you are going to see me with a different dress code, or a woman's code, nor that you are going to see me going in and out of women's restrooms,“ she added.

”Simply, according to the Law, I self-perceived myself as a woman. I respect all genders. And with respect to my status as commander, I will continue to command, even with this tool now. And in a calmer way,“ she underlined.

”I am fine physically, psychologically too. I don't need any kind of assistance or anything. This does not change anything. I communicated it to the staff after the training on Tuesday morning. I communicated it to my boss via GDE (Electronic Document Management) as it should be. It's all in writing. My family, the people close to me are very well aware of my situation and support me,“ she added.

”This is a purely legal matter. Please understand, and those who do not understand... I am sorry. It is the course in which one chooses to live with more or less worries, nothing more. I try to live with as few worries as possible,“ the officer went on.

According to The Gender Identity Law dating back to May 2012, ”every person has the right: a) to the recognition of their gender identity. b) to the free development of their person in accordance with their gender identity. c) to be treated in accordance with their gender identity and, in particular, to be identified in that way in the instruments that accredit their identity with respect to the first name(s), image, and sex with which they are registered therein.”

Debrabandere is single and has two daughters from previous relationships, the last one with a woman he met while stationed in Haiti.