Latino LGBT organizers throughout the country are speaking out about the murders of trans women of color, the abuses and failures of the immigration detention system, and the need to protect against discrimination in housing, employment and education. They are also strengthening their communities by honoring leaders, creating art and conducting workshops. Here's a roundup of activities throughout the country.
Los Angeles, CA
Many immigrant detainees are calling out the failures of the immigration detention system including mothers who launched a hunger strike and groups of LGBT people working to get transgender detainees like Nicoll Hernandez-Polanco out. Hernandez-Polanco is a Guatemalan woman who came fleeing anti-trans discrimination in Guatemala and then Mexico only to be placed in detention where she has found discrimination, harassment and abuse. You can read more about her story here.
Familia Trans Queer Liberation Movement and immigrant rights organizations CHIRLA and CARECEN have come together to offer support for the local LGBTQ community to heal from violence, noting the way that discrimination and lack of protections against it contribute to each murder. They have collaborated on an event taking place on Saturday, April 18th, 2015 to commemorate the First Annual International Day of Transgender Survivors.
The 2nd annual Latino Queer Arts and Film Festival will take place in Los Angeles April 16th-19th with workshops, films, visual art and performances. The opening film presentation of the Mexican comedy Cuatro Lunas directed by Segior Tovar Velarde will include a Q&A with the lead actor Alejandro Belmonte and the associate producer Fernando Licon.
Washington DC
The Latino GLBT History Project recently held an event to honor Latinas in the DC area for their work in advancing equality, access and justice. The group honored a past Vice President and DC Mayor's office LGBT Advisory Committee honoree Esther Hidalgo. Hidalgo is an archivist and photographer of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent who works to ensure that the lives of LGBT, immigrant, afro-descendant people and those at the intersect are documented and preserved.
Philadelphia, PA
GALAEI, a queer Latin@ social justice organization, is hosting their sixth annual David Acosta Leader Award on April 24th. They will honor Ada Bello, a longtime advocate from Cuba who was one of the founders of the Philadelphia chapter of the Daughters of Belitis amongst others.
Printed
Read this great op-ed here by LULAC's Luis Torres about anti-LGBT discrimination and this piece about LGBT youth of color and their activism.
#AtuLado
Ana Barbara, and staff of the Mexican Embassy are the latest allies to join the #atulado campaign which gives allies an opportunity to speak about their support for LGBT people in our struggles against discrimination and for equality.