Archive for the ‘GLBT’ Category
VivirLatino Proudly Participating in first annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice
6:59 am By Maegan La Mala · children|Family|GLBT|Health|Immigration|Justice|Latin America|Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice|sex|sexuality|Women · 3 Comments
9 Aug 2010
We are proud and honored to participate in the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health‘s first annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice. Everyday this week, we will feature a post relating to Latinas and reproductive justice and invite you to discuss with us and with each other what reproductive justice looks like for nuestra comunidad.
All of our posts and the posts of others will be linked to the Latina Institute’s blog, Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voice> (Our Life, Our Voice). We invite our readers to visit that site as well to further the conversation.
Sentencing Day for Jose Sucuzhanay Killers
7:30 am By Maegan La Mala · GLBT|Immigration|Justice|New York City|Violence · Comments Off
5 Aug 2010Today in Brooklyn Criminal Court, the family of Jose Sucuzhanay awaits the sentencing of the two men convicted of killing the Ecuadorian businessman, brother, and son in a hateful attack.
I wanted to highlight this this morning and bring all of your thoughts to the Sucuzhanay for two reasons apart from the horrible injustice that no court will ever be able to fix. First, the sentencing is happening while New York City finds itself smack in the middle of another wave of anti-Latino/anti-Mexican hate crimes. Certainly, people will be looking to this verdict as a sign of what the NY justice system values the lives of Latinos at. However this is also dangerous, as the NY justice system is the same that incarcerates both Latinos and African-Americans at record numbers. Having working with families who have lost their children to hate crimes and racial violence, I understand the desire and want for the loss of life to come at some cost, for equal protection under the law to really work for once. But I also know that no time behind bars will bring back the Jose’s of the world.
LATINA PANIC! Tonite in NYC
8:57 am By Maegan La Mala · Arts|GLBT|literature|Poetry · Comments Off
28 Jul 2010Charlie Vázquez, not only is a talented writer, but he knows how to bring together other talented writers and put on a thought provoking and entertaining evening.
He does it again tonight, Wednesday, July 28, at Nowhere in the East Village at 8PM. Nowhere is at 322 E 14th St (between 1st and 2nd). Charlie will be presenting Alicia Anabel Santos, J Skye Cabrera, Gabrielle Rivera, Meriam Rodriguez, Sherisse Alvarez, Nivea Castro and featured reader Karen Jaime.
Make sure you stay for a little bit of charanga, salsa, son y meneo after. Mala promises it will be well worth it.
I got this from the facebook peeps out there. Support them how you can!
for Immediate Release
Thursday July 22nd, 2010Media Contacts:
Vanessa Castillo (714) 651-1772, Spanish and EnglishCalifornia Hunger Strike for the DREAM ACT, Day 3: Queer undocumented youth participate in a hunger strike and urge all LGBTQ communities to support their fasting for their DREAMs.
WHAT: Press conference with queer undocumented youth, who urge all LGBTQ communities to support their fasting in an effort to achieve their DREAMs, during the California hunger strike for DREAM in Los Angeles, to urge Senator Dianne Feinstein to champion the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill.
WHEN: Friday July 23, 2010 at 10:30 AM
WHERE: In front of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles office
11111 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles CA90025WHY: In order to continue to pressure Senator Feinstein to champion the DREAM Act, students and allies are willing to make a physical sacrifice in order to push the DREAM Act forward. Queer undocumented youth, urge the LGBTQ communities to support them in their efforts towards achieving their DREAMs. Speaking at the press conference will be Queer undocumented youth of Los Angeles and Orange County.
At least 65,000 undocumented immigrant youth graduate from high schools every year, and many of them struggle to attend institutes of higher education. The DREAM Act will grant youth who traveled to the United States before the age of 16 a path to citizenship contingent on continuous presence in the country, good behavior, and the attainment of at least a two-year university degree or a two-year commitment to the armed forces.
There are a total of 9 fasters, including 3 core fasters. The 3 core fasters will be at the strike site at all times. All of our 9 fasting students will be joined by other students as the fast continues. Below are the biographies of the 3 core fasters and they are available for media interviews. To schedule an interview, please contact Vanessa Castillo at (714)-651-1772.Jorge Gutierrez
arrived to the United States at the age of 10 with his mother and four siblings. He is now 26, and after 16 years his educational and career DREAMS are still on hold. Jorge is Queer, Undocumented and Unafraid. These identities represent daily struggles in his life not only as an undocumented student who is fighting to attain documentation, but also a Queer Latino fighting homophobia in his own community. Jorge is unafraid and empowered to be the voice of the Queer DREAMERS advocating for the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill. Jorge holds a Bachelor’s in English from the California State University system. He wants to continue in his educational journey and obtain a Master’s in social work and eventually obtain a PhD and become a professor.Carlos Amador
arrived to this country with his family 11 years ago. He attended California high school and graduated with honors. Even though Carlos had difficulties learning the language and assimilating to a new culture, he was able to over come them and continue with his college career. Carlos has obtained a Bachelor’s degree on human services and is currently working on his Masters of social work at a University of California program. He has lived through many barriers and obstacles which are the ones that have made him realize the importance of getting an education. He has realized that with hard work and dedication, achieving his dreams is only a matter of time. That is why he is involved in the fight for the passage of the DREAM Act, and why he has decided to join the hunger strike. He wishes to finish his MSW degree and be able to work with the community. He wants to eventually go back to school and obtain a law degree and be able to help people in a different level.Erik Esparagoza
recently graduated high school, he is 18 years old. As he prepares to begin his college career at Santa Ana College, he decided to take part in this hunger strike because he wants to ensure a better future for his friends and his community. He is willing to put his body on the line because he feels undocumented students have the right to continue their education and put their hard earned degrees to use, which is what the DREAM Act would allow. He wants to ensure that undocumented students are not denied the opportunity to continue their education.The DREAM is Coming project is a collaboration between multiple organizations, including the New York State Youth Leadership Council, the Immigrant Youth Justice League, Dream Team Los Angeles, Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance, Arizona Dream Act Coalition, the Orange County Dream Team, University Leadership Initiative of Texas, Virginia DreamActivist, and DREAMActivist.org
On These Shoulders We Stand
3:50 pm By la Macha · California|GLBT · 2 Comments
19 Jul 2010So far, I’ve only made it through the first two parts of this documentary–but it’s so good, I had to share. Usually, most of us in the LGBT/queer community know all about Stonewall and the organizing in the East. It’s more rare to really know anything at all about the organizing in the West, much less organizing that queer Latin@s and people of color did. This is fabulous. Espcially stay on the look out for Nancy Valverde!
On These Shoulders We Stand tells the stories of 11 older members of the Los Angeles lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community from the 1950s into the early 1980s. According to the filmmakers, the documentary, showing at film festivals around the country, “brings to light Los Angeles’ significant, yet hidden, role in U.S. gay history by interweaving first-person accounts with narration and seldom-seen archival materials.”
The producers want to spread the word that “not everything began with Stonewall.”
The 11 participants in the film, directed by Glenne McElhinney, are:
Dr. Maria Dolores Diaz: Activist in the Chicano and Feminist Rights Movement.
Nancy Valverde: A barber who was arrested and jailed many times.
Kevin Thomas: Los Angeles Times writer and film critic.
Dr. Marsha Epstein: Founding physician at the Herself Feminist Women’s Health Center.
Dale Reynolds: Hollywood actor, founder of Gay Actors Rap in Los Angeles.
Margo Strik: A graphic artist, active in Southern California Women for Understanding.
Miki Jackson: Friend of Morris Kight, early volunteer at the Gay Community Services Center.
Ivy Bottini: A founding member of the National Organization for Women.
Don Norman: Came out at a very early age in Los Angeles, Chemical Dependency Counselor.
Troy Perry: A Pentecostal Preacher, founded Metropolitan Community Church, in Los Angeles.
Mia Yamamoto: Attorney, Los Angeles Public Defenders Office.
ETA: Apparently there are only two clips! I thought that the whole documentary was online, I guess not! Anyway, the two clips are really good–they point to a really important time in our history and they highlight non-white folks, which I think is especially important. If white LGBT folks don’t know much about their history, non-whites know even less. So it’s good that they have multiple communities highlighted.
LGBT Orgs and Catholic Bishops Reiterate Support for Immigration Reform
11:32 am By Maegan La Mala · GLBT|Immigration|Religion · 1 Comment
16 Jul 2010A coalition led by U.S. LGBT organizations and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued separate (of course) statements in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.
Yesterday, a joint statement was released praising efforts by lawmakers to get Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) language as part of any comprehensive immigration reform bill.
Today’s united front in support of UAFA – with key lawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC); Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus – could not be more urgent for the families who are facing separation, or already living in exile, because of our country’s discriminatory immigration laws. An estimated 17,000 young children are being raised by LGBT parents in binational families and those children face the very real possibility of losing a parent, or leaving the only country they have ever called home. The United States can do better, and we stand with these courageous Members of Congress who are leading the way to ensure these families can be together.
This comes a long way from when Gutierrez’s CIR ASAP bill first came to light WITHOUT UAFA language, likely a move meant to keep evangelical support for the bill.
Vamos Pa’Argentina : They Legalized Gay Marriage
15 Jul 2010They may have not gone as far as they would have likein the World Cup pero Argentina has something else to celebrate. Argentina is the first Latin American country to grant gay couples the same legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.
This isn’t some half assed civil union deal, it’s marriage.
Mangos With Chile Brings Their Words and Talents to NYC
8:41 am By Maegan La Mala · Arts|GLBT|literature|New York City|race|sexuality · 2 Comments
13 Jul 2010I was thrilled to be able to attend a special Mangos with Chile show on Sunday night at Bluestockings in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. I was thrilled not just because I consider the founders, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Ms Cherry Galette, dear amig@s, nor because dear amig@s of mine have performed under the spicy sweet banner, pero because the center is queer, trans, and gender non conforming artists of color.
Sunday night, people packed the bookstore and activist center to bear witness to the words and work of Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Victor Tobar, Ignacio Rivera and, Jai Dulani.
Tomorrow and Wend. In San Fran: NQAF Presents Before We Were Named
3:51 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Arts|GLBT|history|San Francisco · 1 Comment
14 Jun 2010
Some friends of VivirLatino are here so if you are in the Bay Area and can represent, please do.
QCC and The National Queer Arts Festival Present
Before We Were Named:
A marvel of queer theater and interactive performance chronicling our spectacular existence via histories of violence, displacement, migration, revolt and spirit.
Conceptualized and Produced by Nico Dacumos and Cherry Galette
Featuring wondrous anomalies, expositions, curios and exhibitions by:
Maya Chinchilla
Irina Contreras
Nico Dacumos
Aimee Espiritu
Cherry Galette
Juba Kalamka
Gaston Mazo
Carlos Oxford AKA Karlangas
SoliRose
June 15 & June 16, 2010, 8:00PM
The Lab
2948 16th St. @ Capp
San Francisco, CA
$12 – $20 sliding scale
Advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/111351
Enter scenes inspired by world’s fairs of years past and marketplaces at the edge of a distopian future. Move freely through a collaborative theater environment to interact with queer origin stories, myths, and fables told through music, dance, film, experimental performance and ritual.
Come witness new work from some of the Bay Area’s most innovative and notorious QTPOC artists and troublemakers centering migration, the birth of cultural mythologies, the queer body in diaspora and the many ways we’ve been named, celebrated, remembered, demonized and memorialized.
Why Does it Feel Like too little too late with Elected Officials and Immigration?
10:01 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · GLBT|Immigration|Politics · 5 Comments
4 Jun 2010Even though I’m going to be on a panel next week on HITN to talk about NY State elections (stay tuned for details), electoral politics gross me out, especially the way I have seen paid politicians play the issue of immigration and it’s reform. The name of game is careerism, not doing what is best for the communities they were elected to represent. This is especially true for poorer immigrant communities who don’t have the power of the donation dollar behind them or even the power of the polls since they cannot vote. This makes it easy for politicos to do the politically expedient thing as opposed to the right thing. I’m not stupid, I know that’s the way the game is pero it doesn’t make it right especially when we are talking about people’s lives.
Let’s take Congressman Luis Gutierrez for example. I’m not picking on him because I am against him, or because I have a beef with him, but rather because he himself has put himself out there. No es a quitate tu pa ponerme yo. I have no interest in “doing” electoral politics if you will. My feet are firmly planted in the calle.
Recently, Gutierrez came out in favor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) as part of larger Comprehensive Immigration Reform. In some ways, this a great but there are two problems. One : For months, when Gutierrez was pushing his CIRASAP Bill, the exclusion of LGBT families was a calculated move, aimed to keep the support of faith organizations. Two : most DC insiders say that comprehensive immigration reform is dead this year. So what’s the point? What’s the game? It’s pretty much the same bait and switch that is currently being played with the DREAM Act.
Read more…
Hola!
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