Nearly 100 community members gathered at the National Museum of Mexican Art on Nov. 11 to honor Emmanuel Garcia's induction into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.
Garcia, a community activist and journalist, was admitted to the Hall of Fame at its annual ceremony the previous day "for his tireless advocacy and his pivotal role in organizing Chicago's Latina and Latino LGBT communities," according to a Hall of Fame statement.
Colleagues, friends and family paid tribute to Garcia throughout the evening, which was hosted by Association of Latinos/as Motivating Action ( ALMA ). The celebration was emceed by Tony Alvarado-Rivera of Chicago Freedom School, a longtime friend of Garcia.
Shortly before the celebration, Garcia recalled what initially compelled his activism. "I think for me—what motivated me to get involved—were different things like having a GSA ( gay-straight alliance ) in my high school, working with GLSEN ( Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network ), going to youth leadership summits, being involved and getting involved with the ALMA organizational wing, and really being empowered to do community work," he said.
He said that young people often need "entry points" into the LGBT community, occasions and spaces where they can feel comfortable coming out and being themselves.
"One of the most marvelous marvelous things about this is to see how much larger true grassroots movements and activism are than we normally think," said ALMA Vice-President Kenny Martin-Ocasio. "In Manny's case, it really has been that. I'm 20-plus years older than him, but I've learned so much from the way he rallies the community, challenges and educates."
But Garcia said his induction was a reflection on his colleagues and their work as well. "I'm excited to have a marking of some of the work that we've done as a collective and a community," he said.
