BELIZE CITY–He is, perhaps, Belize City’s only publicly known transvestite. That role, however, is not acceptable when it comes to the standards of appearance at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where the strict dress code is enforced by the court’s security guards and police officers.

Perfilio Rodriguez, 19, who prefers to be called “Vanessa Champagne Paris” and was dressed as a woman when he was first arraigned on an aggravated assault charge in July, appeared at the court building this morning wearing a pair of slippers, his feminine accoutrements whittled down, except for the round hips that he was sporting. He was denied entry by a female security guard, who spotted his pair of slippers.

Rodriguez made an attempt to speak to the Clerk of Courts, but due to the slippers, he was further denied entry to the court’s office.
Rodriguez was eventually admitted into the court after he returned wearing a pair of tennis shoes.

His name, however, had already been called by a court orderly.

So when he appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton, and he was asked why he was late, Rodriguez replied: “My bus just came in from Mango Creek; remember, I live there now.”

After he was arraigned on the aggravated assault charge, Rodriguez was released on a $300 bail which was posted by his father, who also accompanied him to court today.

One of the conditions of his bail was that he had to move out of the Zericote Street house that he was sharing along with Caleb Orozco, executive director of the homosexual rights organization, UNIBAM, and his sister, Golda Orozco, who is the virtual complainant in the aggravated assault case against him. Magistrate Panton adjourned Rodriguez’s case to October 10, 2014.

Rodriguez was also ordered to visit the Police Prosecution Branch today, where he is expected to be provided with full disclosure in the case against him.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2014, Rodriguez first appeared before the court on a single charge of aggravated assault with a knife upon Golda Orozco, for an incident which allegedly occurred at a house on Zericote Street, where he once lived.

Panton had ordered him not to make any contact with Golda Orozco or any member of her family. He was ordered to move out of the house until the case before the court concludes.