The Arcus Foundation is sharing this statement on behalf of more than 120 LGBTQ organizations and their allies across the country.
We, the undersigned, a coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) Latinx organizations and allies make the following statement in the spirit of education and with the purpose of honoring the more than 100 people who were murdered or injured at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12th during the LGBT establishment's Latinx-themed night. We call on all people to defeat with compassion the scourge of hate crimes based in animus toward LGBTQ people, people of color, and those who live in the intersection of our communities.
This sad truth was borne out again at Pulse where 49 people were killed. Nearly half of the victims were Puerto Rican. Many were Cuban, Dominican, Ecuadoran, Mexican, Salvadoran, Venezuelan, Afro Latinx, and from other Latinx communities. Almost all were members of the LGBTQ community. Some were undocumented. Over half were under 30, with the youngest victim being just 18 years old.
The LGBTQ Latinx community faces disturbing realities. As the U.S. Latinx population has grown, the incidence of hate crimes against Latinx people has risen disproportionately, tripling in one recent year. According to a study published last week by The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, murders of LGBTQ people in the United States increased by 20 percent between 2014 and 2015. NCAVP's research on hate violence also shows that LGBTQ people experience violence not only by strangers, but in their everyday environments by employers, coworkers, landlords and neighbors. In addition, according to FBI records, crimes motivated by bias due to sexual orientation and gender identity represented the largest category of hate crimes ( 20 percent in 2015 ). Further, as documented by the FBI so far this year in the United States, there have been 14 murders of trans women reported, but the FBI data are assumed to be conservative given their dependence on accurate reporting.
If we are to be truly free, we must recognize and address all the toxic components of this hateful act- homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexism. We are concerned that the current anti-Muslim narrative will plant seeds of fear that will fester into hate. We are concerned that some will use this tragedy to prevent our movements from building bridges, understanding, and love between people of color, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized communities. We state our steadfast support of LGBTQ Muslims and their communities who live under a cloud of suspicion and threats of violence also, understanding that our prospects for liberation are interlinked.
We reiterate our commitment to advancing our movement and our resolve to live as proud LGBTQ people without fear of discrimination. We call for comprehensive action to restore to young LGBTQ people of color the safety and wellbeing that they deserve. We call on individuals and organizations who care about peace, justice, and love to engage with and support our LGBTQ Latinx community at the intersection of all struggles against violence so that we can work to eliminate all the forms of animus - racism, homophobia, and transphobia - that take precious lives from us every day.
*Latinx is a gender-inclusive form of Latino/a. Spanish is a gendered language that does not account for the multitude of gender and identification variables existing in our communities.
Signed,
Listed alphabetically as of June 20, 2016
Advocates for Youth
AGUILAS of San Francisco
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Foundation of Chicago-Salud y Orgullo Mexicano Project
Alianza Ciudadana en Pro de la Salud Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Transgenero y Aliados de Puerto Rico ( ACPS-LGBTTA )
Alternativa Nicaragüense de Diversidad Sexual ( ANDISEX )
American Civil Liberties Union
Aqua Foundation for Women
Ariann@ Center of Ft. Lauderdale
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association of Latino/as Motivating Action ( ALMA )
Basic Rights Oregon
Believe Out Loud
Casa Ruby
Center for Black Equity
Center Latinxs at The DC Center for the LGBT Community
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Centro Comunitario LGBTT de Puerto Rico
The Change Project
Charlotte Latin Pride
Citizens Alliance Pro LGBTTA Health of Puerto Rico
Colectivo AcciÃ"n Latina de Ambiente ( ALA ), San José, CA
Collier County Neighborhood Stories Project ( CCNSP )
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights ( COLOR )
Community Justice Project
The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Corral Consulting
Council for Global Equality
Dolores Huerta Foundation
Equality Alabama
Equality California
Equality Florida
Equality Illinois
Equality New Mexico
Equality North Carolina
Equality Ohio
Equality Texas
Equality Maine
Fair Wisconsin
Familia es Familia
Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement
Family Equality Council
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Latina Advocacy Network of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
Freedom to Work
FundaciÃ"n Latinoamericana De AcciÃ"n Social, Inc. ( FLAS )
Galaei
Garden State Equality
Georgia Equality
Gertrude Stein Club
GetEQUAL
GLAAD
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD )
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality
GLSEN
Gran Varones
GreenLatinos
GSA Network - Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network
Hispanic Health Network
Honor PAC
Human Rights Campaign
Immigration Equality
International Imperial Court System
Intersecting Queer Identities, Princeton University
La Clinica Del Pueblo-¡Empodérate! Center
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement ( LCLAA )
Lambda Legal
Latin American Youth Center
Latino Commission on AIDS
Latino Equality Alliance
Latino GLBT History Project
Latino LinQ
Latinos in the Deep South
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice
League of United Latin American Citizens ( LULAC )
LULAC Dallas Rainbow Council #4871
LULAC LGBT Council - Cincinnati, OH
MAP
Marriage Equality USA
Muslim Advocates
The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity
The National Black Justice Coalition
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
National Council of La Raza
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
The National LGBTQ Task Force
NMAC ( National Minority AIDS Council )
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance ( NQAPIA )
One Colorado
Orgullo de San Antonio LGBTQ LULAC Council 22198
OUR Walmart - Florida
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
OutFront Minnesota
PFLAG National
Pride at Work
Pridelines
PROMO
Puerto Rico Para Tod@s
Religious Institute
Safe Space for LGBTQI Hispanic Youth- Cleveland OH
San Diego LGBT Community Center
SAVE
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders ( SAGE )
Servicios de La Raza
SocialScope Productions
Somos Familia
Somos Familia Valle
South Texas Equality Project ( STEP )
Southerners On New Ground ( SONG )
Students Working for Equal Rights
Tennessee Equality Project
Texas Gay Latino Pride
The Trevor Project
TransLatin@ Coalition
TransLatin@ Coalition of Georgia
Trans United Fund
True Colors Fund
UniÃ"n = Fuerza Latino Institute
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
United Latin@ Pride
Unity Coalition | CoaliciÃ"n Unida
Valley AIDS Council
Voto Latino
Wall Las Memorias Project
World Out Games
See the statement in Spanish here: www.arcusfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/LGBTQ-Latinx-Statement_SP.pdf .
In Arabic here: www.arcusfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/LGBTQ-Latinx-Statement_AR.pdf .
