One might think that the Hispanic LGBT community in Chicago might seem small, along with its activities and challenges.
However, considering that this city has the fifth-largest population of Mexicans in the United States, that one-third of the population in this city is Latino, that the Latino community is the second-largest and that a non-heterosexual community is very diverse, this thought should probably change. Issues to tackle are not only many, but hard; for instance, there could be a transitioning bisexual Colombian woman fighting to stay in this country legally and finding a job. This is where the Association of Latino/as Motivating Action ( ALMA ) enters.
The president of ALMA, Julio Rodriguez, and his team have been working since 1989 to prevent and solve problems that affect these minorities within minorities. In an exclusive interview for Windy City Times, Rodriguez revealed how passion-inducing and challenging this job has been for more than 25 years.
Rodriguez actually grew up in what is Boystown today, and he is the second generation of a family from Puerto Rico, adding that the '70s and '80s were not easy for a gay Latino man. He described a picture in which the gay movement was organized by well-educated, bourgeois, white people in private parties, in which drag queens were the ones who knew how to raise funds in the closeted Chicago, in which fighting racism was hard because conservative Catholic Latino neighborhoods were categorized and geographically apart from each other, and in which people attended several funerals of loved friends every month due to AIDS—friends who were never able to see their rights recognized.
However, this has changed. AIDS brought together the LGBT community to demand gay rights. On the other hand, even though many in the Latino community might be conservative and Catholic, many also know what it feels like to be segregated, bullied and discriminated for being a minority. Consequently, they also knows what it feels like to need support for being born a certain way in a different and larger community. All these elements guided the creation of this organization.
Rodriguez has said that, since its origin, ALMA has been proud to stay visible as one of the oldest non profit organizations of this kind in the United States. It was the first Latino group recognized by Chicagoan authorities, and it is also the first group of its kind in the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
Nonetheless, he added it has not been easy trying to engage this community, especially the younger individuals. The organization is ruled and works only with volunteers. Also, poverty is still a big issue in the Hispanic community, very few Latinos are privileged enough to access quality education and achieve success, and most contributions are destined to religious causes.
ALMA's mission, according to its website, is "to fight for the rights of the Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning ( LGBTQ ) community by advocating for fairness and equality and by affirming Latino LGBTQ culture." Its projects are mainly focused on three major areas: youth leadership, advocacy ( which includes employment, youth homelessness, marriage and immigration ) and visibility—in order to re-emphasize the LGBT Latino culture importance from a Latino perspective.
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has been in the news because of his controversial remarks regarding Mexicans and immigration. While most people criticize Trump's point of view, Rodriguez said ALMA sees it as a Republican focal point that takes most of the air time from other Republicans, and since he shows the "ugly" side of its party, his actions strengthen the Latino unity. Additionally, Rodriguez has stated that it would be very smart if Hillary Clinton picked a Latino Vice-president.
The last three years have been a new era for ALMA, since it changed the meaning of its acronym, in order not to focus mainly on gay men but on the whole community. Its goal is to stay relevant and broader, and become a well- known brand, according to Rodriguez.
He added that future actions are to expand the board so that it includes women, trans individuals and more ethnic groups. According to Rodriguez, generally, "when white people come out of the closet, they do it as individuals, but when Latinos do it, they come out as families." Also, as an LGBT Latino, "being visible becomes political."
Visit ALMAchicago.org .
