Abstract
This dissertation examines sex-gender violence in contemporary Mexico from a transfeminist perspective, conceptualizing it as a structural and relational regime rather than a series of isolated acts. Drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler, Lisa Cacho, and Sayak Valencia, it argues that violence operates as a technology of power that regulates the intelligibility of bodies and determines which lives are considered livable and grievable (Butler 2004, 2009). Through the analysis of literary and cultural texts—including Temporada de huracanes (2017), the trans autobiographical narratives Crucé la frontera en tacones (2023), Transporte a la infancia (2023), and Oaxaca-Trans: historias de vida (2020), as well as the documentaries Kenya (2022) and Jardines (2024)—the project explores how violence against trans, queer, and non-binary subjects is produced, represented, and contested. It proposes transfeminicide as a critical category that extends beyond feminist frameworks of feminicide by foregrounding the specific conditions of vulnerability affecting gender-diverse populations. By combining critical theory with close reading, the dissertation demonstrates that these cultural and literary works not only depict violence but also challenge dominant epistemologies and open possibilities for resistance. Ultimately, it positions transfeminism as both an analytical framework and a critical praxis grounded in care, interdependence, and the revaluation of marginalized lives.
