Rubi Alejandra Juarez Utrera is one of the first transgender female residents of Baja California to obtain legal recognition, and directs the Center for Comprehensive Services for Transgender Persons in Tijuana. For the past eight years, she has provided services for the transgender community by offering training and counseling on transgender issues and coordinating the expansion of the organization, an example being her time spent in Tijuana, training law enforcement and the government to become educated about transgender issues.

As I was preparing myself for the interview with Rubi I did not know what to expect upon meeting with her. I was in for a surprise, because I did not expect to meet such a vibrant and passionate individual. Rubi first talked about her background volunteering as an advocate for transgender awareness. As a volunteer advocate, she used her own source of income as a fashion designer to fund her work. In the past eight years of fighting for transgender awareness, she has had the opportunity to train multiple police officers and speak to various universities about transgender issues. Rubi says even changing one person's mind about transgender issues is a victory. Her passion is a result of her parent's education, and the love and respect they have for her. Her family is supportive of her, so she's always had the drive to empower those who are less fortunate, to encourage transgender persons to speak confidently about their stories and experiences, and to fight for what they deserve.

For my final question, I asked her what she thinks is the best proposal to inform the public about transgender rights. She said the biggest priority would have to be mending and developing the community of transgender individuals themselves. "We have to build new leadership within the transgender community to inform the public and lead by example," Rubi said. She also mentioned how organizations advocating for transgender rights do not capture their best interests or accurately represent the transgender community. I was shocked to hear this, but also impressed, because she went on to explain that those who are being marginalized such as the transgender individuals do not need others to speak for them, but rather they themselves need a platform to speak on for their voices to be heard.

Overall after this interview with Rubi, my perspective of transgender people and their issues was completely changed. I realized that transgender people practically have no voice to educate the public about their plights and struggles. There may be many organizations and individuals who attempt to speak on their behalf, but it does not change the fact that they have little to no actual transgender speakers who can fully explain the true goals the community is trying to achieve. Through this interview, I gained a tremendous amount of respect for individuals such as Rubi who work hard for the sake of such a benevolent goal, and acquired a new insight of what can be considered true progress for such marginalized groups, especially the transgender community.