The measure was taken by Javier Garcia Elorria, assistant secretary of Protected Areas under the Minister of Environment of Buenos Aires. Reaction to the measure was swift. Constitutional lawyer Andres Gil Dominguez presented an appeal and requested that the head of the municipal government in Buenos Aires, Jorge Teleman, nullify the measure. In his presentation, the lawyer qualified the proposed ordinance as “unconstitutional and a violation of the right to be protected from discrimination, the measure stigmatizes those who sell sexual services and excludes this group from their source of livelihood.”

The same Monday, the Association of Transvestites, Transexuals and Transgenders of Argentina demonstrated in front of City Hall to express their opposition to the proposed measure. The march was held under the slogan: “If they kick us out of Rosedal, we will come to the Plaza !”.

Confronted with opposition and criticism, the city of Buenos Aires cancelled the measure and instead arranged mediated discussions to work towards a solution. The discussions will include associations of sex workers, neighborhood associations and residents of the area. One of the aims will be to “train sex workers so that they can take care of the area.”

Source: Attta.org, Argentina