Santo Domingo.-  Dominican Republic’s Transsexual Community (Cotrave) on Monday demanded treatment without discrimination and equal access to basic services.

In a press conference, the heads of Cotrave noted that today marks the day of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for which the group’s coordinator, Nairovi Castillo, revealed that despite that 18 transsexuals and sexual workers have been killed in just one year, no indictments have been made.

He said fully into the 21st century, the country lags further and further behind in discrimination in education, health and freedom of movement for that sector.

For Eddy Flores, a mother of a transsexual, her son isn’t a monster and proudly proclaimed that she loves him the same as any other mother.

Quoted by elcaribe.com.do, she said she’s outraged because she once took his son to a public hospital but had to leave because of the criticisms, and was forced to find money to go to a private clinic.

Cotrave said their organization groups more than 1,200 transgender and transvestites.