Nota: Comenzado el proximo mes contaremos con la columna de nuestros companeros Latin@s GLBT en Boston. De esta manera, comenzamos a conectarnos con nuestros amigos en Boston y nos ponemos al tanto del acontecer LGBT por esos lares. No dejen de visitar el site Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition. Encontraras la direccion de su pagina en el area de enlaces. Gracias a Carmen, a Wilfredo y a James de In Newsweekly por permitirnos reproducir la columna. Recuerden que pueden traducir el contenido de la misma al espanol, oprimiendo el enacabezado del mismo nombre, justo arriba de este post. Los invito a que posten sus comentarios sobre la columna. Picture: Sarah Harrison, Carmen Oquendo-Villar and Lisa Harrison from Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition
October 19, 2005
This monthly column is the first space Latin@s in Boston have achieved in order to make ourselves visible in mainstream gay culture. It is a first step of inclusion in any GLBT or Latin@ media in Massachusetts. We still have a long journey ahead of us. Whereas the voice of the Latin@ GLBT community of New England has not been manifest in the larger GLBT movement and the activities-speeches at the State House during the recent constitutional convention, we have found a space willing to include our perspectives.
Here you can expect to find an overview of the GLBT Latin@ local and international movement, political perspectives and the social spectrum, among others. It is our hope that you become active in a community that has historically been excluded or underrepresented in both mainstream and Latin@ media.
Almost two decades have passed since the Latin@ GLBT community started articulating itself in the United States as a distinctive movement. LLEGO, established in 1986, came to fulfill a much-needed organization for a national agenda concerning Latin@ GLBT groups scattered around the nation and Latin America. LLEGO accomplished much in little time but quickly became reactive rather than proactive concerning Latin@ issues within the broader political arena and came to an end last year. Bereft of any national queer Latin@ organization on the horizon or any coherent movement to congregate queer Latin@s at large, local communities have been left to their own devices.
With cooperation of National LLEGO, Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition was established in 2001. The Coalition is a group by and for the self-identified Latin@ GLBT Community of Massachusetts. It works towards the advancement, recognition and awareness of Latin@ GLBT related issues in the larger community. It also provides safe spaces, activities, and social support to its members.
Massachusetts had, for the first time, a Latin@ GLBT Pride weekend this past year. This was a landmark event for the local movement, as it constituted recognition of our existence. During this weekend, political and community leaders supported our initiative, as well as local and national community based organizations. This weekend will be held every spring as long as the organizations and community leaders give their personal commitment and secure its financial support.
Our movement is committed to a sensibility of inclusion of the diversity within the Latin@ community. Likewise, we can no longer accept being excluded from the larger community. Latin@s account for more than 19% of our Boston community, and almost 40% of our Hartford community, and it is estimated that 6 to 10% of our Latin@ population are GLBT individuals. This column is not a form of tokenism but an acceptance that our world, and hence our community, is changing. It is our vision that this space will become a forum for dialogue, for inclusion, for valuing diversity, and for appreciating each one of our community members as important resources. GLBT Latin@s are diverse in language, cultural backgrounds, professions, and immigration status but three things make us equal: we come from Latin@/Hispanic roots, we somehow fall under the GLBT umbrella and we all live in New England.
We appreciate this newly found space for communicating with you. This is the first of many to come! We invite you to visit our website www.somoslatinoslgbt.org for the latest list of events and links to the organization. See you at the next Social Friday event of Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition! Feel free to send us your comments and suggestions for the upcoming column. We will include some of your letters next time around. •
Reprinted with permission from In Newsweekly: New England's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender newspaper.
Here you can expect to find an overview of the GLBT Latin@ local and international movement, political perspectives and the social spectrum, among others. It is our hope that you become active in a community that has historically been excluded or underrepresented in both mainstream and Latin@ media.
Almost two decades have passed since the Latin@ GLBT community started articulating itself in the United States as a distinctive movement. LLEGO, established in 1986, came to fulfill a much-needed organization for a national agenda concerning Latin@ GLBT groups scattered around the nation and Latin America. LLEGO accomplished much in little time but quickly became reactive rather than proactive concerning Latin@ issues within the broader political arena and came to an end last year. Bereft of any national queer Latin@ organization on the horizon or any coherent movement to congregate queer Latin@s at large, local communities have been left to their own devices.
With cooperation of National LLEGO, Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition was established in 2001. The Coalition is a group by and for the self-identified Latin@ GLBT Community of Massachusetts. It works towards the advancement, recognition and awareness of Latin@ GLBT related issues in the larger community. It also provides safe spaces, activities, and social support to its members.
Massachusetts had, for the first time, a Latin@ GLBT Pride weekend this past year. This was a landmark event for the local movement, as it constituted recognition of our existence. During this weekend, political and community leaders supported our initiative, as well as local and national community based organizations. This weekend will be held every spring as long as the organizations and community leaders give their personal commitment and secure its financial support.
Our movement is committed to a sensibility of inclusion of the diversity within the Latin@ community. Likewise, we can no longer accept being excluded from the larger community. Latin@s account for more than 19% of our Boston community, and almost 40% of our Hartford community, and it is estimated that 6 to 10% of our Latin@ population are GLBT individuals. This column is not a form of tokenism but an acceptance that our world, and hence our community, is changing. It is our vision that this space will become a forum for dialogue, for inclusion, for valuing diversity, and for appreciating each one of our community members as important resources. GLBT Latin@s are diverse in language, cultural backgrounds, professions, and immigration status but three things make us equal: we come from Latin@/Hispanic roots, we somehow fall under the GLBT umbrella and we all live in New England.
We appreciate this newly found space for communicating with you. This is the first of many to come! We invite you to visit our website www.somoslatinoslgbt.org for the latest list of events and links to the organization. See you at the next Social Friday event of Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition! Feel free to send us your comments and suggestions for the upcoming column. We will include some of your letters next time around. •
Reprinted with permission from In Newsweekly: New England's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender newspaper.
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario