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Demonstrators hold a sign that reads 'Transgender people exist and resist' during a LGTBIQ+ rights protest in Bogota, Colombia.
Moving between genders
Initially, Rodríguez Pineda said, "I found it very hard to imagine myself becoming a man. Or, I wasn't sure I wanted to be a man. I was clear on one thing though: I did not want to be a woman."
He thought that ditching feminine clothes and acting masculine would be enough to feel free. But once he started his transition process — even before beginning a medical transition — he realized that he did not have to become a traditional man. And that moving between genders included simple issues such deciding which public toilets to use.
There is no right way to affirm a person's transgender identity.
Gender transitions do not have an end objective; there is no right way to affirm a person's transgender identity, Rodríguez Pineda says. Some people feel accessing medical and surgical procedures is necessary. While others believe they should not be subjected to such procedures in order to fit society's vision of how men and women should look.
This also applies to other aspects, such as clothes and names. For example, Rodríguez Pineda is "not at all interested" in changing his gender on his ID card: "It's a way of validating my trans life experience," he explains.
Self expression and personal identity
Rodríguez Pineda said he is not clear what masculinity means for him and feels it must be constructed. Some days, he wants to wear a suit and tie, and others, a skirt and heels, he said, adding that this is his way of reconciling himself with his body and identity. He likes his photography to reflect this experimentation.
At times, people with trans life experiences must "wave the flag," Rodríguez Pineda said. It is an identity to be proud of and in his case, has given him a sense that there is a transitory element in everyone. Asked how he knows he is "trans," he replied, "How do I know I'm not? Who is to say that in a few years I won't want to seem or express myself differently?"
He sees answering questions about himself as part of his day-to-day activism, and especially uncomfortable or even naive questions that might irritate other activists.
"Questions that could make you feel vulnerable, or comfortable, on the street, in a shop or on the bus. There's a lot of misinformation on the trans world. People really do have crazy questions, because they've never interacted with a trans person," he said, adding "if I don't answer their questions, who will tell what they need to know?"
