Silvia Matus

Silvia Ethel Matus Avelar (born March 12, 1950) is a Salvadoran feminist sociologist and poet. In 1992, she founded the Colectiva Media Luna, the first group of lesbian women in the history of El Salvador.

In the 1980s, she participated as a combatant in guerrilla organizations within the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front during the Salvadoran Civil War. Although these groups were often homophobic and sexist, Matus had her first lesbian relationship in 1987 while she was still a part of them.

After the armed conflict ended, she founded in 1992 the Salvadoran Lesbian Feminist Collective Media Luna, the first lesbian group in the country’s history. Due to lack of financial resources, her first poetry book, En la dimensión del tránsito, was published in Honduras at a friend’s print shop; her second book, Insumisa primavera, was published through the support of the Technological University of El Salvador.

Style and themes Matus’s poetry explores themes such as lesbian love, feminism, and violence in Salvadoran society, always from a gender perspective. The desiring female body, in particular, plays a prominent role in her work. These themes can be seen in poems such as “To Love Another Woman,” as shown in the following excerpt:

Recognition and legacy In recognition of her poetic work, she received the "Women of the Century" award in 2000, granted by the feminist group Las Dignas and COM.

Works En la dimensión del tránsito (1996) Insumisa primavera (2002) Partisana del amor (2011)