Estrella Estévez

Dayris Estrella Estévez Carrera (born June 7, 1972) is an Ecuadorian transgender activist. She was one of the original founders of the Coccinelle Association, the first Ecuadorian trans organization. She was also a key player in the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador. Additionally, in 2009, Estévez was able to change the sex on her government ID to female after a long legal battle. She was the first person in the country to do so, marking a milestone for LGBT rights in Ecuador. At age five, she began to see herself as a girl. She was bullied at school, especially once she started wearing feminine clothing. Her family accepted her as transgender and tried to protect her from bullying in her youth.

Estévez had trouble getting her bachelor's degree in social sciences because of her gender identity. In order to earn her degree, she had to escalate to , Ecuador's Minister of Education at the time. After discussing possible strategies to achieve decriminalization, the organizations decided to argue that Article 516 was unconstitutional. To bring a challenge before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, they needed to get signatures on a petition. The Coccinelle Association spent days collecting signatures at sites such as the Plaza de la Independencia and Central University of Ecuador in Quito. Estévez and other transgender women set up tables and chairs at these locations to explain their cause and gain signatures from passerby. The women collected 1,800 signatures, far surpassing what the law required. In November of 1997, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador declared the first clause of article 516 of the penal code unconstitutional, decriminalizing homosexuality in Ecuador.

Gender marker change In 2001, Estrella Estévez began trying to change her legal name and gender marker on official documentation. Afterward, the Ombudsman's Office petitioned the Constitutional Court of Ecuador to accept García's ruling as a binding precedent, but the Court did not respond.

She was nominated for the Patricio Brabomalo Award, which is granted to Ecuadorians who advance LGBT rights in the country.