Advance Change Together will invest one million dollars to strengthen the representation and advocacy efforts carried out by some 20 Latino LGBTQ+ organizations.
Photo: Wojtek Radwanski / AFP / Getty Images
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June is the month of LGBTQ+ Pride, in which this community reaffirms its identity and proclaims that it will resist all oppression and repression. For those who are not part of that LGBTQ+ community, this month offers an opportunity to reflect on the subject.
This week, the Hispanic Federation and an outstanding group of allies and allies did more than celebrate and reflect, because on Monday we inaugurated the Advance Change Together initiative, or ACT, which provides financial and technical support to organizations that defend LGBTQ+ rights.
Although in many places progress is being made towards eliminating the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community, in others attacks are increasing, including by governments. And even where progress is made – like New York or California – injustices and inequalities persist, sometimes not in an obvious way. For example, many organizations that help the LGBTQ+ population are underfunded.
In the immediate term, Advance Change Together will invest one million dollars to strengthen the representation and advocacy work carried out by some 20 Latino LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations, in addition to increasing the provision of services and paying infrastructure expenses. ACT will also offer various forms of training to these community organizations.
At the opening ceremony of ACT in Orlando, Florida, I recalled that this day was another anniversary of the Pulse Club massacre, in which 49 lives were lost, and I stressed the importance of ACT, because in many places legislative measures are intensifying anti-LGBTQ+.
“With this initiative,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda, who participates in ACT and was present at the opening ceremony, “we are responding to the urgency of these moments, and we do so by uniting non-profit Latinx LGBTQ+ organizations to empower, defend and create stronger networks of support for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Gabriella Rodriguez, Executive Director of Qlatinx of Orlando, said that organizations like hers only have “a handful of culturally competent resources to meet their intersectional needs. But all that changes as of today, because the Hispanic Federation guarantees more resources for the organizations that work on the ground”.
Ricky Martin, who is also participating in Advance Change Together and joined us on Monday, added: “With the ACT initiative, we are coming together to tell Latinx LGBTQ+ organizations that they now have the support they need to serve and empower their communities.” .
Other notable personalities who joined us on Monday were Luis Miranda, Jr., founder and first president of the Hispanic Federation, and father of Lin-Manuel; Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, actor, singer and winner of several awards; Stephanie Beatriz, star of “Encanto”, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “In the Heights”; Valentina, singer and artist of international fame; Carlos Guillermo Smith, the first openly LGBTQ Latino elected to the Florida legislature; and community leaders from across the country, such as Ari Gutiérrez Arámbula, Wilfred Labiosa, Anandrea Molina and Julio Rodriguez.
In addition to the million dollars that our Hispanic Federation will contribute, the ACT initiative will receive additional funding from the Miranda Family Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
To all of them, our deepest gratitude.
For more information about our Hispanic Federation, call (844) 432-9832. They can also visit www.hispanicfederation.orgor follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Let’s celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month together on the 32nd anniversary of the Hispanic Federation! Until the next column!
Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation
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