A Spanish writer is being sued after misgendering a “non-binary” male on social media. Lucía Etxebarria, a Premio Nadal award-winning novelist and women’s rights advocate, may have to pay 11,000 Euros (approx. $11,600 USD) to LGBT activist Marcos Ventura Armas if the suit is successful.
Etxebarria first came to the attention of Ventura after posting about him on X (formerly Twitter) in 2020. In the post, which is now the primary matter of complaint in the lawsuit, Etxebarria stated that she “saw a man” when looking at photos of Ventura, who had gained some notoriety on Spanish-language X for his claim to being “non-binary” despite looking overtly masculine.
After receiving backlash for posting some photos of Ventura, Etxebarria wrote:
“I have just been told that it is ‘disgusting’ for me to show these PUBLIC photos of a PUBLIC office holder in a PUBLIC organization, and say that I see a man here. I would love to hear back from you: How many of you see a woman here? It is important to me,” she wrote.
Notably, claiming to be non-binary and taking offense to women referring to him as “male,” Ventura was officially introduced with “he/him” pronouns just weeks after Etxebarria’s post while accepting his position as the “municipal secretary” of La Guancha.
The 500-page lawsuit filed against Etxebarria also highlights other tweets she’s made about Ventura over the years, including one from May of 2022 in which she referred to him as having a “beard, penis, and testicles.”
In a sarcastic thread Etxebarria posted to X, she said: “Marcos Ventura Armas, who belongs to the FELGTBI, wanted to denounce me when I mistakenly stated that he was a man. Because, of course, she is a young non-binary trans woman.”
A la FELGTB pertenece también Marcos Ventura Armas que quiso denunciarme cuando equivocadamente afirmé que era un hombre. Porque es una joven trans no binaria. Tiene barba, pene y testículos pero no podemos llamarle hombre porque si no me quitan este perfil y me cae una multa. pic.twitter.com/AmtjzRhBAc
— Lucia Etxebarria (@LaEtxebarria) May 12, 2022
Ventura is known for being an active “militant” for the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and, over the course of 10 years, has held various positions within the party and its branches.
He currently defines himself as a “political activist and for the rights of LGTBI people,” and has participated in working groups for the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, Bisexuals and Intersexuals (FELGTBI). He has also held various positions in Gamá, a trans activist association based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
In the lawsuit, Ventura says that Etxebarria referring to him as a “trans woman” was a “false claim” due to his non-binary status, also highlighting her repeat “misgendering.”
Ventura, who was diagnosed with “gender dysphoria” in 2021, states that he rejects “he/him” pronouns, and says he feels “diminished” when he is treated as a male.
Describing himself as “a non-binary trans person who uses feminine pronouns and grammatical gender to refer to himself,” Ventura also accuses Etxebarria of having damaged his “professional prestige as an activist” by repeatedly referring to him as a “trans woman.”
Etxebarria is now being called to appear at a court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, about 2,000 km from where she resides, to answer to the legal complaint. On September 29, Etxebarria launched a crowdfunding campaign to assist her with her immense legal costs, exceeding her goal in less than 24 hours after receiving a flood of international support.
MISSION ACCONPLISHED. In less than 24 hours, seven thousand euros have been raised. With donations coming from places as diverse as the United Kingdom, Scotland, Canada and… Australia! . I'm EXTREMELY grateful. I understand that so many people have donated because they have… https://t.co/KXoTxKQbDS
— Lucia Etxebarria (@LaEtxebarria) September 30, 2023
Speaking to Reduxx, sources close to Etxebarria revealed that Ventura appears to have deliberately sought out a long-term, long-distance lawsuit with the intention of making the situation as expensive and difficult for Etxebarria as possible.
The sources also state that Ventura’s legal team appear to have combed through years of Etxebarria’s social media history, and have presented additional social media posts and videos from years ago in an effort to portray her as a bigot.
Ventura’s lawyer is known for taking on trans activist cases, and was previously involved in the Health Council case against psychologist Carola López Moya after she stated “trans women are male.” The Health Council sought to disqualify López from practicing for five years, and demanded a fine of 120,000 Euros (approx. $120,000 USD), but the case was ultimately dropped.
Reduxx approached López for comment on the lawsuit against Etxebarria, to which she stated that the author had her unequivocal support.
“We cannot let this doctrine cloud the reason of society,” López said. “We cannot renounce the truth to welcome lies under duress. All my support to Lucía Etxebarria.”
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