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The Latino queer community has made significant strides over the last century, breaking barriers and building movements that champion intersectionality, identity, and justice. From the activism of figures like Sylvia Rivera in the Stonewall riots to the rise of Latinx-led queer organizations advocating for equality, the community’s resilience has been pivotal in shaping broader LGBTQ rights.
Throughout decades of social, political, and cultural challenges, Latino queer voices have fought for visibility and empowerment, celebrating their unique heritage while contributing to the ongoing fight for inclusion and dignity.
This LGBTQ History Month, we’re reflecting on ten major milestones throughout queer Latino history and the lasting impact each one has made.
1955: Daughters of Bilitis
The first lesbian rights group in the US, the Daughters of Bilitis, was established in San Francisco; one of its cofounders was a Chicana activist named Mary, whose surname has unfortunately been lost over time.
1965: The Imperial Court System
José Julio Sarria—the first openly gay candidate for public office—founded the Imperial Court System, the oldest LGBTQ+ charitable organization in existence.
1969: The Stonewall Riots
Puerto Rican transgender activist Sylvia Rivera played a major part in the catalytic Stonewall Riots alongside her friend Marsha P. Johnson, another famed trans activist. The two cofounded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) in 1970 to further support and fight for civil rights of transgender individuals.
1974: The Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico
The two-story Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Community Building of Gay Pride) in San Juan was founded as the very first space for queer liberation groups to organize.
1985: ALLGO
The Austin Latina/Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization (ALLGO) was founded in Austin, Texas, as an intersectional answer to the lack of spaces for nonwhite LGBTQ people. It remains active today.
1990: “WE DEMAND EQUAL HEALTHCARE NOW”
Daniel Sotomayor, the first openly gay and HIV-positive political cartoonist, protested alongside five thousand other demonstrators at Chicago’s Cook County Building, flying a gigantic banner reading, “WE DEMAND EQUAL HEALTHCARE NOW,” to advocate for people with AIDS.
1993: Pedro Zamora Provides More AIDS Education
Cuban American Pedro Zamora helped educate the public on the reality of living with HIV and AIDS by starring on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco; that same year, he testified before Congress that more accessible literature on HIV and AIDS was needed.
2000: The Latino GLBT History Project
Now known as the Latinx History Project, this nonprofit was founded by frontline leaders of various civil rights movements to preserve queer Latino history and honor the legacies of historical activists.
2006: The Fight Against the FMA
To prevent the passing of Federal Marriage Amendment—banning marriage equality in the US—Latina activist Laura M. Esquivel fought to prove the bill was not just a matter concerning white members of the LGBTQ community; it was indeed a Latino issue as well. Her efforts ultimately played a role in more than half of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus opposing the bill.
2010: Same-Sex Marriage Is Legalized in Argentina
Argentina became the first Latin American nation to legalize same-sex marriage (including the right to adopt). Since then, same-sex marriage is now legal in many countries throughout the Americas, including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, United States, and Uruguay.
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This article was written with the assistance of AI.
