Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Giffords hero recognized at Hispanic conference
by Joseph Erbentraut
2011-02-23

This article shared 3645 times since Wed Feb 23, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


While Daniel Hernandez, Jr.—the openly gay intern who has been widely credited with saving the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz., last month—may not consider himself to be a hero, one would have been hard-pressed to find anyone else in attendance at the National Conference of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), held Feb. 17-20 at the Sheraton in downtown Chicago, who matched the 21-year-old's modesty.

Featured as the guest speaker for the Feb. 19 luncheon at the conference, Hernandez told Windy City Times that, while he was honored to be invited to the 29th annual event directed toward students and young professionals of Hispanic heritage, he was anxious to hop on his flight home to return to his commitments there.

While admitting that he is recognized on the street more often these days, he said his life largely remains focused on his studies and continuing internship with Giffords' office rather than media appearances. He's also in the midst of a political campaign of his own—running for student body president of the University of Arizona—which began several months before the tragic event that launched him into the national spotlight.

"Other than being recognized, nothing has really changed," Hernandez said. "I'm still at the University of Arizona, I'm still an intern with the congressional office of Congresswoman Giffords, so I haven't let it change too much. I'm sure I could have let it get out of hand but I've made a concerted effort to try and make sure that I stay as normal as possible so still an intern, still a student."

The "as possible" caveat to that statement is an important one to note for the man who, last month, celebrated his birthday while sitting next to First Lady Michelle Obama for the president's State of the Union address, where he was also recognized with a standing ovation.

But despite all the attention, Hernandez said he is limiting the number of opportunities he will accept in order to maintain a sense of normalcy in his life. He said he said "yes" to the USHLI conference because of the organization's emphasis on the importance of education.

Introducing Hernandez at the luncheon, USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade described the student as someone who had "won the hearts of millions and millions of people across this country" in how he responded to the Tucson shooting tragedy.

In a press conference preceding the luncheon, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., noted Hernandez's "extraordinary courage." Durbin was on hand to receive the Institute's Si Se Puede Award.

"Years and years ago, I was an intern for a United States senator and there was never any job training that suggested I would face what you went through," Durbin said. "What he lacked in training, he made up for in instinct, an instinct that he showed in Tucson of caring enough to risk his own life to try to protect others says a lot about him, his family and what his service and commitment that day in Tucson means in the future."

Addressing the conference attendees, Hernandez spoke of his experience as a first-generation college student within his family and encouraged high school students, in particular, to continue on to higher education and work hard to "be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else"—advice he said he received from a fortune cookie.

"When I see the people that are here, the majority of them are where I was not too long ago—it was three or four years ago that I probably would have been in the exact same position they're in," Hernandez said. "I'm talking to them about the importance of getting an education and also not letting yourself get put into any boxes. Once you start letting others define you, that's when you start kind of losing who you are. I think it's a simple message that bears repeating."

Hernandez added that he is hopeful that the LGBT and Hispanic activist communities will pursue their legislative priorities—including, but not limited to issues including marriage equality and comprehensive immigration reform—in concert moving forward.

"One of the things that I think a lot of people have realized is that when we work together, we're a lot stronger than when we're kind of fighting our own fights because there's a lot of overlap for a lot of these things," Hernandez said.

Also present at the luncheon were U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez, state Rep. and Chicago City Clerk hopeful Susana Mendoza and former U.S. Ambassador to Belize Carolyn Curiel. Gutierrez was recognized with the Edward R. Roybal/Henry B. Gonalez Award for Excellence in Public Service.


This article shared 3645 times since Wed Feb 23, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

The Jeff Awards announces the 50th anniversary awards for non-equity theater 2024-03-26
--From a press release - A complete list of recipients can also be found online in the Non-Equity and News and Events sections at www.jeffawards.org. (March 25, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle 2024-03-08
- Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

NATIONAL School items, HIV/AIDS activist dies, Nex Benedict, inclusive parade 2024-03-01
- In a new survey, the Pew Research Center asked public K-12 teachers, teens and the U.S. public about the ongoing scrutiny placed on classroom curricula, mainly regarding race and LGBTQ+ identities, ABC News noted. Among other ...


Gay News

Appeals court allows Ind. ban on gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-01
- On Feb. 27, a federal appeals court in Chicago allowed Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care to go into effect, removing a temporary injunction that U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued last year, ABC News ...


Gay News

Oklahoma non-binary student dies after being assaulted 2024-02-21
- Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, ...


Gay News

Democrat flips seat once held by George Santos 2024-02-14
- On Feb. 13 in New York, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed the U.S. congressional seat formerly held by openly gay Republican George Santos, who was recently ousted. According to NBC News, Suozzi's ...


Gay News

Comcast NBCUniversal partners with News is Out, Word In Black on fellowship program highlighting Black, LGBTQ+ issues 2024-02-06
--From a press release - Digital Equity Local Voices Lab Fellows to be placed at 16 local publications to receive training and create content Philadelphia (Feb. 6, 2024) — News is Out [ https://newsisout.com ] , a queer media collaborative of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Marriage news, fighting fentanyl, anti-LGBTQ+ crimes, Grindr 2024-02-02
- The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state, The Washington Blade noted. House Bill 174, introduced by state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County), passed in the Democratic-controlled ...


Gay News

WORLD Arrest in Brazil, athlete dies, Ghana attack, World Economic Forum 2024-01-26
- A 30-year-old man was arrested in Brazil on Jan. 18 for his alleged role in the stabbing murder of prominent NYC art dealer Brent Sikkema, Gay City News reported. Authorities took Cuban resident Alejandro Triana Trevez ...


Gay News

DeSantis drops presidential campaign, endorses Trump 2024-01-21
- Anti-LGBTQ+ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race—and has endorsed former President Donald Trump. The move took place Jan. 21—two days before the New Hampshire primary, NBC News noted. On a ...


Gay News

Northwestern grad Calzada joins Windy City Times team 2024-01-16
Windy City Times news release - Lu Calzada has joined Windy City Times for a five-month fellowship position funded by Northwestern University's Local News Accelerator project. Lu graduated with their master's in journalism from Northwestern in 2023. During their time at NU, ...


Gay News

USA Boxing adds policy regarding trans competitors 2024-01-04
- Boxing's highest national governing body, USA Boxing, added a transgender athlete policy to its rulebook that requires genital-reassignment surgery and strict hormone testing for adults before competition, NBC News noted. ...


Gay News

Gay political trailblazer Ken Sherrill passes away at age 81 2023-12-30
- Kenneth Sherrill—a pioneering political scientist who was also the first out gay elected official in New York history—died in early December at age 81 from surgical complications, Gay City News reported. He is survived by his ...


Gay News

WORLD Brianna Ghey, archbishops, HIV, George Michael, Albanian women 2023-12-29
- A boy and a girl, each 16, were found guilty of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year in a knife attack, per a Yahoo! News item that cited the AP. Brianna Ghey, ...


Gay News

Dignity/Chicago welcomes new rule on church blessings for same-sex marriages 2023-12-18
--From a press release - Dignity/Chicago, the advocacy organization for LGBTQI Catholics and friends, welcomed the news that the Vatican's doctrinal office has officially declared it possible for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions and ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.