Queer & Latinx: Intersections of Race and Identity
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Modern Latinx queer theory has been strongly influenced by race, gender, and other intersections of identity. Latinx languages have become more inclusive of non-binary and other genderqueer identities, and queer Latinx art from the 20th and 21st centuries has reflected various aspects of queer identity and history.
Scroll down and use the drop-down menu above to explore these ideas.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, the intersectional nature of queer, Latinx identities and lifestyles often causes people who identify this way to face a unique set of challenges in the United States. While Latinx people frequently face racial oppression in the U.S., queer Latinxs may also face queerphobia and other sexuality- and/or gender-related oppression. Some barriers may include:
- Immigration – "one in five substantiated sexual abuse and assault cases in ICE facilities involved transgender detainees, who only make up one in 500 ICE detainees."
- Language & Access Barriers
- Economic insecurity
- Violence & Harrassment – "The situation is especially dire for Latino/a transgender women, who experience alarmingly high rates of violence and harassment when compared to other members of the LGBTQ community."
- HIV & Health Inequity – "Despite making up 16 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, Latino/as represented 21 percent of new HIV infections."
Also from the Human Rights Campaign:
Latino/as* (a.k.a, "Latinxs" or "Latin@s") have a long and rich history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) activism. Early movement pioneers include José Julio Sarria, the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States; Sylvia Rivera, a bisexual and transgender rights activist often credited with starting the Stonewall Riots; and Gloria Anzaldúa, a noted scholar of Chicano history and lesbian rights advocate. That activist spirit continues today in the work of people such as Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, the first openly transgender person to work in the White House."
(Read more about the Stonewall Riots by using the drop-down menu at the top of this page.)
a zine I made for class about Queer Latinos in YA. It's not perfect but I feel like it could be pretty useful/interesting to Latinx queers or people interested in diversity. pic.twitter.com/61XL2nphOD
— Joseph J. Rey 🌹 (@queerbrujo) March 13, 2018
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Read more about Jotería here.
"Making a space for Sissy Brown Boys by figuring out exactly what Queer Xicanismo is and what it can be."
“Voyager, there are no bridges, one builds them as one walks.” ~Gloria Anzaldúa via @Sincecombahee
Have you cited a woman of color today???#AmWriting pic.twitter.com/7qgR8Phq8r— Koritha Mitchell (@ProfKori) June 4, 2018
Read more about Gloria Anzaldúa, one of the first openly lesbian Chicana writers, here.