Over a dozen Latino organizations are participating in Spirit Day this year, ensuring that the message of acceptance and respect for LGBT youth and the community as a whole is reaching as many Americans as possible.
Among those participating are the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), and Familia es Familia, a first-of-its kind, comprehensive public education campaign aimed at creating strong LGBT allies within Hispanic/Latino communities across the country.
Also participating are the Latino Equality Alliance (LEA), a Los Angeles-based coalition of LGBT Latino and ally organizations; Bienestar, a Southern California health and social services center serving the LGBT Latino community and people living with HIV/AIDS; the Latino GLBT History Project, a Washington, DC-based organization that preserves and provides education on LGBT Latino history; and HONOR PAC, which supports candidates and ballot propositions that advance progressive policies and serve the unique needs and interests of Latina/o LGBT communities.
Studies from the last few years have shown that Latinos lead the way in terms of support for LGBT issues in this country, and thanks to the work of these organizations, support is increasing.
Here are just a few of many notable moments of Latino organization support for LGBT issues in 2012:
- May/June 2012: National Latino organizations LULAC and NCLR publicly endorsed marriage equality and publicly support LGBT issues.
- July 2012: A coalition of 22 Hispanic/Latino organizations launched Familia es Familia, a bilingual campaign aimed at building support for LGBT equality within the Latino community, by providing culturally appropriate resources and information to empower voices within and from Latino families and communities).
- August 2012: After a more than 18-month long campaign, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) and GLAAD announced the permanent removal of “José Luis Sin Censura" – a far worse Spanish-language version of Jerry Springer that for several years aired virulent anti-gay, anti-Latino and anti-female content on the Estrella TV network.
The rest of the participating Latino organizations are:
National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF), the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), Labor Council for Latin American Involvement (LCLAA), National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), SABEResPODER, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
Click here to give your organization’s official Spirit Day endorsement!
Check out which Latino celebrities are participating in Spirit Day this year!
To see how you can get involved, check out our Spirit Day pages in English and Spanish