Draft:Florencio Pla Meseguer
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Florencio Pla Meseguer | |
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| Born | Teresa Pla Meseguer February 1, 1917 |
| Died | January 1, 2004 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Other names | 'La Pastora', 'el maquis hermafrodita', 'el otro Durruti' |
| Occupation(s) | Shepherd, guerrilla fighter, smuggler |
| Known for | Intersex condition |
Florencio Pla Meseguer, known as La Pastora ("The Shepherdess") (born Teresa Pla Meseguer; February 1, 1917 – January 1, 2004), was an intersex Spanish fighter in the Maquis, the anti-fascist guerrilla resistance during and after the Spanish Civil War. Born in the village of Vallibona, province of Castellón, Florencio became a symbol of defiance against both political oppression and rigid gender roles. His journey through the Maquis and his eventual legal recognition as a man after years of imprisonment represents a story of personal transformation and resistance.
Early Life and Background
[edit]Florencio was born as Teresa Pla Meseguer on February 1, 1917, in Vallibona, a remote village in the Maestrazgo region of Spain. He was the youngest of seven siblings, growing up in a small farmhouse known as Mas de la Pallissa, inherited from his grandfather. Life was hard, and at a young age, Florencio began working with the family's livestock, tending sheep and goats. Due to his remote upbringing, he received little formal education, attending school briefly just long enough to take his First Communion.
Florencio's intersex condition, which was evident from an early age, became a significant factor in the decisions made about his future. A family friend, aware of the potential difficulties Florencio might face in fulfilling military service due to his physical condition, advised his father to have him registered as female in the civil registry. As a result, Florencio was officially named Teresa Pla Meseguer, a decision that would shape much of his life and identity. Despite being assigned female at birth and being socially forced to wear women's clothing, Florencio always identified more closely with male roles.
Joining the Maquis
[edit]Florencio's first encounters with the Maquis, the resistance fighters against Franco's dictatorship, took place while he was living in the mountains. Although he had been largely isolated from the political struggles of the time, he occasionally interacted with Maquis fighters who passed through the area. A turning point came when, during a snowstorm, three Maquis fighters sought refuge in a remote summer house, El Cabanil. The Civil Guard tracked them down and burned the house.
On the morning of the burning, the Civil Guard, having learned of Florencio's intersex condition, subjected him to a humiliating encounter. They forced him to strip, driven by what he described as their “curiosity.” As Florencio recounted, “Tenían curiosidad por saber cómo una pastora era mitad hombre y mitad mujer. [...] El ‘teniente Mangas’ hizo caso omiso de todas las reglas y me hicieron desnudar, hasta que saciaron su curiosidad. Y cuando terminaron, me dijeron: ‘bueno, a hacer bondad’. Y sentí mucha rabia, mucha impotencia.” ("They were curious to see how a shepherdess could be half man and half woman. [...] Lieutenant Mangas ignored all protocol and made me undress until their curiosity was satisfied. When they finished, they said, 'Well, behave yourself.' I felt such rage, such impotence.")
The following day, the Civil Guard arrested the owner of El Cabanil. Fearing that he, too, would face reprisals, Florencio fled. This series of events left him with a deep sense of rage and injustice, prompting him to join the Maquis as both a political statement and a way to align with his own identity, fully embracing a male role within the resistance.
Life in the Guerrilla Resistance
[edit]Upon joining the Maquis in 1949, at the age of 32, Florencio started dressing as a man, finding camaraderie among his fellow fighters. Although some sources mistakenly label him as a leader, he clarified that his role was more modest, involving training similar to military service. After nearly two years with the Maquis, Florencio attempted to escape to France but was detained in Andorra. There, he worked as a shepherd and engaged in small-scale smuggling to support himself, but was eventually apprehended after being betrayed by a former associate in 1960.
Imprisonment and Misattribution of Crimes
[edit]Following his capture, Florencio was handed over to Spanish authorities, who charged him with crimes he did not commit. He explained that several murders attributed to him were actually the work of another guerrilla named Cinctorres. Due to ongoing propaganda and misreporting, he faced two separate trials, receiving a 40-year sentence in one and, initially, the death penalty in the other, which was later commuted to 30 years.
Incarceration and Transition
[edit]Due to his legal status as a woman, Florencio was initially placed in a women's prison. This placement caused considerable personal distress, as he had to wear women's clothing again and was isolated. Over time, with the advocacy of officials who believed in his innocence, Florencio was eventually transferred to a men's prison, where he worked and served out his sentence under male identity. In 1977, after nearly two decades of exemplary conduct in prison, Florencio was released.
Post-Release and Legacy
[edit]After his release, Florencio underwent a legal process to have his identity officially recognized as male, receiving his documentation as a man. Returning to Vallibona, he was met with acceptance and support from local residents. Despite the hardships he faced, Florencio's life story, marked by resilience in the face of gendered prejudice and political strife, continues to resonate as a symbol of defiance and self-determination in the struggle against oppressive regimes and societal norms.
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