Karla Avelar

Karla Avelar is a Salvadoran transgender rights activist was born in 1978 in El Salvador. Karla Avelar is the executive director and founder of Comcavis Trans an NGO dedicated to combatting discrimination against trans women living with HIV in El Salvador. COMCAVIS Trans also advocates against discrimination of transgender individuals and anti-trans sentiment in various sectors of Salvadoran society. Speaking about violence against transgender people in Salvadoran society, Avelar states, "Now they are after your life. Now it's more of a silent society, one that today won't humiliate you, but kills you." As such, Karla Avelar has dedicated themselves to multiple organizations, such as El Nombre De la Rosa (The name of the Rose) including Aspidh Arcoiris Trans since the 1990s. Now, she works directly with COMCAVIS Trans.

Under Avelar's leadership, the COMCAVIS organization has kept and continues to keep records of violations and cases of homicide against LGBT individuals living in El Salvador for the past 15 years. COMCAVIS Trans records reveal that after homicide cases occur, Salvadoran authorities cannot provide reparations, protection, or guarantee that homicides will not occur again for LGBT communities. For example, in October 2016 a transgender man beat by police and over 73 percent of authorities in Salvadoran society view homosexuality as a "mental disease." COMCAVIS Trans, therefore, has serves the transgender community through legal assistance and a care shelter.

Currently, Karla Avelar resides in Switzerland after being extended asylum for receiving extortion and death threats from maras (gangs) in El Salvador. Karla Avelar continues to work with COMCAVIS Trans by serving as a delegate for the UN in Geneva, advises the International Platform against Impunity, and is a member of the Asile LGBT organization.