Certain challenges come with being a Latin individual living in the U.S.A. It can be difficult to embrace a new culture, while keeping your roots and simultaneously staying true to your home traditions.
When I first moved to the US some friends laughed at my accent, strangers judged me based on my ethnicity and others made me feel like a fool because I couldn’t express my feelings in the English language. Once I overcame all these obstacles, the culture shock became less of an issue, and I was able to form new friendships that helped me understand the sacrifices many people faced to pursue the American dream.
Behind all of the stories of sacrifice, there is one community no one acknowledges. This community is facing an insurmountable and problematic plight. The community is gay and transgender Latinos. Many gay and transgender Latinos are attacked on both sides of the spectrum; fighting for their right to live the way they want without discrimination, and trying to fit into American society.
There is no doubt that religion is prominent in the Hispanic culture. Believing in a higher power can be an amazing experience when love, acceptance, and generosity is not only preached but put into action. Unfortunately, this isn’t the situation for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in America.
During my childhood, I was taught that homosexuality was a sin.
Leviticus 18:22 states, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”
Many preachers have taught their passive-aggressive hatred based on this verse in the Bible.
Now and then, the church will erupt in celebration when a gay or transgender person gives their testimony about how God changed their sinful life. Many individuals in the LGBT Hispanic community have been silenced completely by the enormity of the discrimination towards them. Others have been called rapists and pedophiles. In Latin America, LGBT citizens are regularly targeted by right-wing killers, but these stories are kept under wraps.
Although the LGBT community keeps fighting for their rights in the U.S.A, in Latin America it can be harder to speak up. LGBT people are often brutally punished for exercising their right to freedom of expression. They suffer harassment, threats, hate attacks, rape, brutal beatings by public security agents, and yes, by religious institutions that believe homosexuals are the result of a lack of love from the parents or the consequence of demons entering the body. Many people are forced to flee their countries and hopefully find stability in their lives in the US., but it seems transgender people are under fire wherever they go.
When I first read about Jennicet Gutiérrez, a transgender activist, born in México, who is a United States immigrant, I quickly became interested. Tired of the violence many transgender illegal immigrants face in this country, she decided to heckle President Obama at an event. After getting booed by the audience, she was removed from the event.
In a statement, she said, “Today, President Obama clearly shut me down and tried not to bring those realities [for LGBTQ immigrants] up for him and the rest of the attendees. It’s difficult to say I’m a supporter of the president.”
Her reasons are based on the fact that trans women are more likely to face discrimination because of their gender identity. Jennicet is the first transgender person to call out to the president about the issue of immigration. She came to the U.S.A when she was just 15 years old. Her family settled in North Hollywood and today, she is battling her own war.
Jennicet is a victim of torture. What the news media does not report is the torture and rape transgender immigrants experience inside detention.
Despite the fact that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has unveiled an 18-page guide on how officers should interact with transgender immigrants in custody, Jennicet’s goal is for transgender immigrants to be housed in detention facilities that match their gender identity. I have met many people who crossed the Rio Grande, and their testimonies are heartbreaking.
Imagine this. You pay a coyote (the person who helps to cross the river) at least $2,000. You have to walk for miles through a desert without food or water, making you an easy target for thieves and criminals. Once you reach the promised land, a whole new chapter begins. Why would someone decide to take this trip in such extreme conditions? Because the reality is, there is no choice. If they stay or return to their country of origin, they will be forced to make ends meet by working as prostitutes. Many people are embroiled in a lengthy discussion over immigration in this country. The politics surrounding this topic are nonsensical. Activism that propels people like Jennicet, to fight against abuse is where the constitution stands.
Human rights go beyond race, political status, and gender. We pride ourselves by saying yes to the LGBT community. Are we ready to stand up against our families who are unwilling to accept us? Are we ready to stand up against religious institutions preaching hate?
On June 12th, the second deadliest terrorist attack on U.S soil occurred in Orlando, Florida. Omar Mir Seddique Mateen killed fifty people inside the nightclub “Pulse.” This venue was a favorite of the Hispanic community. It was a massacre, directed against the LGBT community.
The majority of those who have lost their lives by this senseless unfathomable violence were Hispanic. I have written this piece with a broken heart. I have written this on behalf of those who lost their lives, those who shared the same ethnic and cultural background as I.
I still believe love is love. I believe that humans are not an abomination based on whom they love.
Harvey Milk once said, “Hope will never be silent.”
I will not remain silent. I ask you to help me, by adding your voice to mine, so that we may speak for those that can no longer speak for themselves. Will you join me and fight for love?