The latest instalment of the 2015 Vives Q series took place on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Now in its third year, the program centers the intersectional experiences of LGBTQ Latinos and Latinas, providing a safe space for intergenerational dialogue.
"With Latino people specifically, there's been a lack in organising around trying to create this gap that happened between the youth now and the people who were in leadership prior," said Antonio Elizondo, one of the event's organizers.
"I don't think that there is a space like this, not just for the Latino community, but for people of color to have a public program where you're trying to bring in young folks and older folks in the same space," added fellow organizer Emmanuel Garcia.
Past speakers have included Mona Noriega, the commissioner for human relations for the City of Chicago, and David Munar of Howard Brown Health Center. The conversation featured Dr. Lourdes Torres, a professor of Latin American Studies at DePaul University, and Aurora Pineda, a Latina drag-king pioneer who performed under the name Andres de los Santos.
While both women touched on their individual narratives, coming out experiences, and childhoods, the theme of the night was a conversation about Amigas Latinas, the renowned LGBTQ Latina organization which last month closed after 20 years. Dr. Torres is a past board member, while Pineda was one of the groups founders.
"[Finding] Amigas in Chicago, and being out around Latinas who loved me and were accepting" had a profound impact on her life, Dr. Torres told the audience of about 60. Through the group she, along with Nicole Perez, spearheaded a study of the issues LGBTQ Latinas in Chicago faced. This was incredibly important, she said, because there is a lack of scholarship on queer Latinas in the Midwest.
Pineda, who became emotional when talking about the impact Amigas Latinas had on her—in addition to founding the organization, she met her wife and several lifelong friends through it—said that "Amigas changed my life in a big way."
Torres is now working to chronicle and archive the history of the organization. She is "eager to see what happens next," even as she wonders if groups specifically catering to LGBTQ Latinas are relevant in an age of increased visibility. "The question is, 'what comes next for Latina queer women?'"
The night ended with performances by several youth in attendance, including poets Jade and Samantha Caballero, drag entertainer Lula and Dimples, a drag king who entertained the crowd with a Spanish-language song.
The final instalment of Vives Q's summer series will take place Sept. 1. Those interested in attending can RSVP on the group's Facebook page.
