The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, called on Monday “a man dressed as a woman” to Salma Luévano, a transgender deputy of his party.
MEXICO CITY – The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, referred this Monday to a transgender deputy of his party, Salma Luévano, as “a man dressed as a woman”, but denied that he had rejected her after a video circulated over the weekend in which she greeted him with a kiss and he seemed to move away.
“Yesterday (the journalist Joaquín) López-Dóriga criticized me because I gave a kiss to a man dressed as a woman. I kiss men and they kiss me,” the president said during his morning press conference.
The Mexican leader added that any man “has feelings” and assured that on Sunday he kissed “many”.
“Why not? It is part of my way of being, they are my feelings. Why am I not going to hug and not going to kiss? What does sexual preference have to do with it?” he said.
López Obrador referred to the greeting he had with the trans deputy of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) last weekend at a public event.
The images sparked criticism on social networks against López Obrador, branded as conservative by LGBTI groups, because after having greeted with a kiss, the president seemed to push her away with his arms.
However, the president downplayed the fact although he continued to refer to Luévano as “man”.
“There are men who kiss my hand or give me a kiss and I also give them a kiss,” he continued.
He also stated that it was a kiss on the cheek that he gave to Luévano, and that López-Dóriga’s criticism was of “machín” (macho).
And he accused the media of being “very conservative”, something he said, “before they could hide”, but not anymore.
For her part, Luévano defended the president by assuring on the social network X that López Obrador is aware that she is a transgender woman.
“The president @lopezobrador_ knows that I am a trans woman and there is also a great mutual respect. From what I see in your case @lopezdoriga your stupid ignorance and your filthy brain makes you believe that everyone is of your condition. Phobias reflect fear and insecurity. Don’t forget it,” she wrote.
Source: Telemundo
