Digital Transgender Archive

Interview with Catalina Velasquez

Catalina Velasquez identifies as a straight transgender woman attracted to cis men and goes by Queen Goddess Sister. She is Colombian, was born in Cali, Colombia, and has a sister. She came to the United States at 14, and she is an undocumented immigrant. Her entire family was deported her first semester at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after living in the United States for over 7 years. It’s been almost 8 years since she’s hugged her mother. She says she benefits from light skin privilege and has highly educated parents that led to them being targeted by outback guerrillas and insurgent groups, so they migrated to the United States. She went to Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She has her Bachelor’s in Science in Foreign Service and International Law at Nordson Institute. She got a certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies and specialized in Italian as her second language. She always knew she was a woman with a strong feminine energy. Anytime she was forced, reprimanded, or instructed to adopt masculinity, it was difficult and came off fake. Her feminine gender expression has made her a target. She’s experienced rape and misogyny. She practices the feminist principles of self-determination, bodily autonomy, and self-sovereignty. She has primarily focused on her survival as an undocumented immigrant, which means going back to the basics, understanding that without a work permit she can’t fight for labor protections, can’t change her name, and can’t access health insurance. She says that transitioning for her has led to engaging with poverty and discrimination at a level that she’s never experienced before. She’s on hormones, and she’s pursuing breast augmentation and laser hair removal. She talks about Casa Ruby, which is a direct service organization in Washington D.C. that provides housing, clothing, food, and mental and medical health services. She used to work with the Trans Woman of Color Collective, TWOCC. She is part of the board for Get Equal, a grassroots trans and queer organization. She has a wonderful boyfriend who works on national security in the Air Force.