In Memoriam: The death of Magistrade Jesus Osiel Baena

The death of “magistrade” Jesus Osiel Baena’s death earlier in November shook Mexico, especially the LGBTQ+ community.

El Excelsior

On November 14th 2023, Baena and their partner, Dorian Daniel Nieves Herrera, were found dead in their home located in Aguascalientes. Both Baena and Herrera were found to have died by stabbings, but it has been stated by the Aguascalientes authorities that Baena was killed by their partner, the latter then taking his own life.

Interestingly enough, both of the deceased’s family members deny these statements. Some critics argue that it is odd that Dorian committed this murder suicide based on the way that both of them died, while others affirm that there was never a third party that entered their home, according to security cameras. Although this is important, there have been many articles already written about how Baena and Herrera died, so I won’t focus on this, rather on The Magistrade’s work and the tragedy that it is for the world to lose such a great person.

Jesus Osiel Baena, born in Saltillo, Coahuila, had an extensive background in both constitutional and electoral politics. They studied and received both a bachelors and masters degree in law from the Autonomous University of Coahuila. Baena would go on to complete a doctoral degree in electoral law from the Autonomous University of Durango and become a magistrate and electoral secretary for the National Electoral Institute (INE). They were prominent LGBTQ+ activists especially for non-binary representation and rights. Baena fought for LGBTQ+ representation in electoral candidates as well as fight issues within political parties. Baena also promoted the use of gender neutral Spanish, where his title “Magistrade” comes from, regardless of personal opinion from the reader, I will continue to respect their choice of pronouns and title out of respect for them. The Magistrade made history as well, being the first Mexican citizen to be given a gender neutral passport (something they advocated for and only 16 countries were offering at the time).

Jesus Osiel Baena

With all of this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his death is a tragedy not only for me, but to the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, especially those living in Mexico. Baena fought for inclusion, human rights and proudly expressed his own gender identity, regardless of what other people might say.

The work they did was inspirational, adamantly fighting for the rights of nonbinary citizens, something almost nobody had done before in Mexico. His role as electoral secretary served as an inspiration and sign of progress not only for this country, but for the world as a whole.

It is truly a tragedy that we lost such a great figure so early, my mind runs amok thinking about the possibilities and progress they would have made were it not for their death. Baena paved the way for important conversations, both in public as well as with family and friends, when someone like Baena proudly presents themselves to Mexican politics, people talk, and most importantly, people learn. I firmly believe that without the presence of The Magistrade, many people would not have known about nonbinary people, their struggles, their wishes, or the idea of gender neutral language.

LGBTQ+ activist protesting the murder of Baena (picture by Silvana Flores)

All around the country, people expressed their grief and sadness surrounding Baena’s death for the following weeks. The protest hitting the closest to home being the one held in Mexico City. Thousands of people, a few days after their death, gathered in the “Estela de Luz” to protest and demand justice for Baena’s death. People paid their respects to “The Magistrade”, with many people proclaiming that they had just been given the opportunity to fight the battle that Baena used to fight for.

Nearly a month later, I still remember how shocked and saddened I was when I heard the news of Baena’s death. I had known about his work for some time, finding his work inspiring and many of his social media posts educational and even humorous at times. I have hope that they have paved the way for a more inclusive Mexico to LGBTQ+ civilians, but I am also saddened by the opportunities and progress lost with their death.

Jesus Ociel Baena, Dorian Daniel Nieves Herrera, may you both rest in peace.