Latino/Hispanic Heroes of the LGBT Community Included in This Document Are Several Biographies of LGBT Heroes of Latino/Hispanic Heritage

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LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Latino/Hispanic Heroes of the LGBT Community Included in this document are several biographies of LGBT heroes of Latino/Hispanic heritage. There is also a timeline of LGBT Latino/Hispanic history in the United States.

PURPOSE ACTIVITY

to learn from the diverse stories of extraordinary Latino/ Read the 9 portraits and examine the details of the story. Hispanic people who have made significant contributions to Then generate discussion about the heroes. American life and culture.

Some potential themes to explore, with discussion questions:

DIVERSITY INSPIRATION

• Why does GLSEN celebrate Latino/Hispanic history month? • There are three quotations included with the heroes, what do you think each of these quotations is saying? • Does the list of heroes reflect the diversity of the community/ population being celebrated during the month? • Are there any common themes in the quotations?

• Are there similarities between the heroes? What themes, • How do the quotations relate to the hero’s story? Their LGBT, qualities or traits do you notice? Latino/Hispanic or professional identity?

HEROIC QUALITIES INTERSECTIONALITY • Why do you think each individual is selected as a hero? • Can you think of places where you feel you’re only able to bring • What makes a person a hero? one of your identities? (example: your Latino/Hispanic identity but not your LGBT identity or your LGBT identity but not your • Do any of the heroes surprise you? Why or why not? Latino/Hispanic identity)

• Where are these spaces? Are any of these places in our school? RACE/ETHNICITY • What do you think we can do to ensure that in these spaces • How do you think the hero’s ethnicity or race impact their story? individuals are able to bring all their identities? • How might being an LGBT person who is also Latino/Hispanic change their understanding of their identity?

Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network T (212) 727 0135 · F (212) 727 0254 · [email protected] 90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10004 www.glsen.org · facebook.com/glsen · twitter: @glsen LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH LGBT Heroes of Latino/Hispanic Community Orlando Cruz Sylvia Rivera Alex Sanchez

Orlando Cruz is a professional boxer, Sylvia Rivera was a Venezuelan/Puerto Alex Sanchez is a writer of young adult originally from Puerto Rico. Orlando, whose Rican American transgender activist. Most novels of German and Cuban ancestry. nickname is “The Phenomenon,” started commonly known as one of the inciters Born in Mexico City, he moved to the US boxing at the age of 7, in order to gain of the monumental Stonewall Riots in at the age of five. In college, he wrote discipline and to stop fighting his bullies on New York City, she was also a founding his first children’s book and went on to the street. He trained for many years as a member of both the Gay Liberation Front receive a masters degree in guidance fighter and in 2000 he joined the Puerto and later the Gay Activists Alliance also and counseling from Old Dominion Rican team competing in the Sydney in New York City. Along with her friend, University. He studied writing at the Fine Olympics. He began boxing professionally Marsha Johnson, an African American Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. in December of that same year in a bout trans woman activist, she also helped After obtaining his masters, he worked in Puerto Rico, which he won. For the next found STAR, a group dedicated to helping with youth and families both domestically nine years, Orlando remained undefeated. homeless trans youth. In addition to and internationally for ten years. While He is currently ranked #4 by the World being one of the first trans youth shelters doing this work, he began to formulate his Boxing Organization in the featherweight STAR was also one of the first political first novel. Rainbow Boys, the beginning category. In 2012, he officially came out organizations for transgender rights in the of a trilogy, was released in 2001 and was as a gay man, making him one of the few world. Today the Sylvia Rivera Law Project named “Best Book for Young Adults,” by professional athletes to come out while still (SRLP) is named in her honor. SRLP is the American Library Association. Since actively involved in his sport. After doing so, a non-profit organization that engages in that time he has written almost a book per he wore a kilt with the Puerto Rican and policy work and provides trainings and free year, including: So Hard to Say (2004), rainbow flag in his next match, in order to legal services for transgender, intersex, and which won a Lambda Literary Award and show his pride for his two communities. gender non-conforming low-income people Bait (2009), which won both the Florida Orlando has noted that coming out has of color. Book Award Gold Medal for Young Adult helped him to feel more free and to Fiction and the Tomás Rivera Mexican- become a better boxer. American Children’s Book Award. Alex also received the Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists’ Prize from the Lambda Literary “I believe in the gay power, I believe in us getting Foundation in 2011. our rights, or else I would not be out there fighting for our rights. ” — Sylvia Rivera

Cherríe Moraga is a Chicana playwright, Rose Troche is an award winning artist, José Julio Sarria is a political activist, poet, activist, and educator. Born in who has written, directed, and produced performer, and archivist. José was born to California, she received her bachelor’s several films and for television. Born in Colombian and Nicaraguan parents and degree from Immaculate Heart College in Chicago in a large Puerto Rican Family, she raised in San Francisco. Even at a young LA and her master’s from San Francisco grew up in the suburbs, where she worked age, José dressed in girls’ clothing and State University. Cherríe has been an at a movie theater and became interested often attended events as a girl. José joined Artist in Residence at Stanford University’s in movie making. She attended the the military and served during World War II, Department of Drama for over a decade University of Illinois at Chicago for her BA where he was eventually discharged with and in the Comparative Studies in Race and as a graduate film student. In 1994, the rank of Staff Sergeant. He returned and Ethnicity. She has taught creative she released Go Fish, an independent to San Francisco, where he began to writing and dramatic arts at several film based on a girl-meets-girl story, which perform at the Black Cat, singing arias, universities across the US. Cherríe has premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. performing in drag, and was dubbed “The worked to increase opportunities for The film received high praise and was Nightingale of Montgomery Street.” He was women of color writers by helping to start picked up to be released as a feature film. active in fighting against police raids and the Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press She has since produced and directed harassment. In the early ‘60s, he helped and the anthology, This Bridge Called My several more films, including, Bedrooms found the League for Civil Education, which Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. and Hallways, which won the Audience provided support for gay men arrested She has published many essays, poems, Award at the London Film Festival and The in raids. In 1961, José ran for the San stories and plays about the Chicana lesbian Safety of Objects, which won best feature Francisco Board of Supervisors, as an experience. She has received various at the Deuville Film Festival. In 2004, Rose openly gay man, one of the first openly awards and grants to acknowledge her entered the world of television with the pilot LGBT people in the world to run for political talent, including a TCG Theatre Artist episode of The L Word. Throughout its six office. Although he lost, he received Residency Grant, the NEA’s Theatre seasons, she directed, wrote and produced 6,000 votes and showed the potential Playwright’s Fellowship, two Funds for New several episodes. Rose has also directed for political power from a unified LGBT American Plays Awards, USA Rockefeller episodes of Ugly Betty and Six Feet Under. community. José also helped create the Fellowship, a creative Work Fund Award, Rose is currently working on a new film Tavern Guild, Society for Individual Rights, Gerbode-Hewlett Foundation Grant, and a and teaching film studies in New York City. and the Imperial Court System, one of the grant from the US Artists Foundation. largest and longest lasting LGBT charitable organizations in the world for which he served as Empress José I for 43 years. José has been celebrated for his lifetime “ The only way that the gay community at that time of advocacy and the advancement of the could become forceful was to become political. LGBT movement, he had a section of 16th I don’t care what people say, even one vote will St in the Castro named after him, has a plaque in front of the Harvey Milk Library, make a difference. If enough people scream, it will and received the San Francisco LGBT make a difference.” Pride Celebration Committee’s Lifetime – José Julio Sarria Achievement Grand Marshal Award in 2005.

Dr. Robert Garcia is an educator, city Laura Esquivel is a lifelong activist and one Ruben Gonzales is the first openly LGBT council member and Vice Mayor of Long of the co-founders of Latino(a) Lesbian and person to serve on the management Beach, CA. Born in Peru, he moved with Gay Organization (LLEGÓ). For over 25 team of the National Council of La Raza his mother to the US at the age of 5. He years, she has been fighting and raising (NCLR). Ruben Gonzales is the Deputy received a BA in communications from awareness about discrimination, as an Vice President for Resource Development California State University, Long Beach, advocate for immigration and labor reform, at NCLR, which is the nation’s largest a master’s at the University of Southern and a promoter of strategy to support the organization advocating for Latino civil California, and an EdD from Long Beach LGBT and Latino communities. In 1984, rights. Gonzales was a driving force behind State. He has taught communications Laura became the president of the Gay and La Raza’s endorsement of marriage courses at various colleges in California. In Lesbian Latinos Unidos, the first female to equality in 2012, the first time the 2007, Robert started a website, called Long do so. During her time there, she helped organization had explicitly endorsed an Beach Post, which reported on local events found other national Latino lesbian and gay LGBT cause.“I think sometimes there is and the following year started the North organizations, which is how she earned the an assumption with Latinos that there are Pine Neighborhood Alliance. Both of these nickname “La Madre” of the Latino LGBT not LGBT people in the community,” says acts helped launch his political career. In movement. In 1987, she participated in the Gonzales, who worked with the National 2009, he was elected as councilman for Second National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Urban the First District. Three years later he was Lesbians and Gays. Laura has worked as Assembly, and GLAAD before joining La elected as Vice Mayor, the first Latino, and an adjunct professor at various colleges, Raza. “But there’s millions of us, and we’re the youngest person to do so in history. as a campaign manager and political strong and we’re loved. You don’t have to During his time on the council, Robert has strategist, as the Director of Public Policy sacrifice being Latino or being LGBT to be been known for sponsoring progressive and Government Relations for LLEGÓ, part of both communities.” legislation, including an Equal Benefits as the Director of Research and Issues Ordinance, supporting labor unions, and Marketing for People for the American education and government reform. He also Way, and as Senior Vice President for founded the first Latin-American Parade Political Affairs at the Gay and Lesbian in Long Beach. He has been honored by Victory Fund. She also had her own several social and media outlets, including consulting practice. Laura has played an The Advocate as one of the 40 under important role in bridging the Latino and “ You can’t wait around 40, Instinct Magazine as a Leading Man, LGBT communities together and affecting for other people to Long Beach Magazine as one of the “Most policy change to support both. To honor Innovative Minds,” and on CNN’s “Latino her lifetime of work, she was included in take your interests into in America.” Adelante Magazine as one of the most account. You have to influential LGBT Latinos in the US. start it yourselves. If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” – Laura Esquivel