In The Community
Amid the ongoing push towards equality and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, the influence of public figures who identify as part of this community is undeniably crucial. They contribute to this narrative significantly, their impact transcending their professional boundaries to create safe spaces and ignite discussions that shatter stereotypes and nurture inclusivity. Today, we shine a spotlight on four prominent Latina trailblazers who are making their mark:
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson, an Afro-Panamanian actress, has earned widespread recognition for her performances in films like "Creed" and "Thor: Ragnarok". Thompson is open about her bisexuality and uses her platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in the entertainment industry. Her role in "Thor: Ragnarok" is considered a landmark as Valkyrie is one of the first explicitly queer characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the explicitness of Valkyrie's bisexuality was contested in the cinematic release, Thompson has confirmed and embraced this aspect of the character. Thompson continues to champion diversity in media, raising the bar for representation in Hollywood.
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza, of Puerto Rican and Irish descent, is widely known for her role as April Ludgate on "Parks and Recreation". Plaza publicly came out as bisexual in 2016, and she has since been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. By openly discussing her bisexuality, she has helped increase visibility and eliminate the stigma associated with non-heterosexual orientations. Additionally, her portrayal of queer characters, like in the film "Happiest Season", provides much-needed representation and adds to the authenticity of LGBTQ+ characters in media.
Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramirez, a Mexican-American actress, singer, and activist, is best known for her role as Dr. Callie Torres on "Grey's Anatomy". Ramirez, who identifies as non-binary and bisexual, has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Their portrayal of Dr. Torres, one of the longest-running queer characters on television, has significantly influenced the way bisexuality is understood and depicted in popular media. Off-screen, Ramirez is heavily involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy, serving on the board of organizations like True Colors United, which works to combat homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth.
MJ Rodriguez
MJ Rodriguez, of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, has made history as a trailblazer for transgender individuals, particularly in the world of television. Rodriguez's groundbreaking role as Blanca Evangelista on "Pose" earned her critical acclaim and marked a significant milestone for trans representation on screen. Rodriguez is open about her identity as a trans woman, leveraging her platform to call attention to issues affecting the transgender community. Her achievements, both as an actress and activist, provide a beacon of hope and inspiration for transgender individuals worldwide.
Through their activism and their work in the media, these prominent figures are not only changing the conversation around LGBTQ+ rights and representation but also shaping a more inclusive and accepting future. In honoring their contributions, we also acknowledge the progress still needed and the ongoing efforts of countless others in the fight for equality and acceptance.
- Gloria Anzaldúa: Trailblazer for the Queer Movement ›
- Representation and Visibility: Narrative Change through Meaningful LGBT Latine Characters ›
Toy Story was the first fully computer animated film and the first breakout hit for Pixar that ended up turning it into an instant classic. The excitement for the continuation of a feel good classic, however, was at times overshadowed by the manufactured outrage of a minority of Americans who are still living in self-imposed religious dark ages.
\u201cLos pap\u00e1s homofobicos con la escena de 1 beso entre lesbianas en la pel\u00edcula de Buzz Lightyear // Los ni\u00f1os\u201d— Sex\u00f3logo David Aceves (@Sex\u00f3logo David Aceves) 1655477473
Lightyear features an LGBTQ+ space ranger named Alisha Hawthorne, a character in the new film who is married to a woman and who share a child together. Disney had previously alluded to having queer characters in previous films, but had never had explicit representation - something that almost didn’t happen for this film either. While it was still planned for the character to be married to a woman, the kiss between the couple that some complained about almost didn’t make it to the big screen. It was only after Pixar employees sent a statement to the Walt Disney Company demanding that the scene be put back into the film.
Despite decades of progress on LGBTQ rights, there are still people who consider a kiss between two women controversial and the movie was subsequently banned in 14 religiously conservative countries like Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
\u201cBuzz Lightyear was banned in 14 countries because of a 1 second kiss. Conservative homophobic boomers on facebook are being overly dramatic and it's freaking hilarious how they are losing their minds over this.\u201d— \u1701\u1707\u1713\u170c\u1708\u1714 \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udded\ud83d\udd1e | asawa ni kaeya \u2744\ufe0f (@\u1701\u1707\u1713\u170c\u1708\u1714 \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udded\ud83d\udd1e | asawa ni kaeya \u2744\ufe0f) 1656044306
The response from some in the older generation who were mainly manufacturing the outrage over the 1 second scene cited the typical “concern” for their children, yet many of these same parents allow their children to be exposed to violence, sexaul harassment and abuse, and a litany of other arguably more terrible movie scenes on a daily basis and often from other Disney and Pixar movies.
\u201c*in a Buzz Lightyear voice* "Hypocrites. Hypocrites elsewhere." \ud83d\ude12\ud83d\ude12\ud83d\ude12 https://t.co/6g2fDEVrVz\u201d— \ud83c\udf3bKatya\ud83c\udf3b (@\ud83c\udf3bKatya\ud83c\udf3b) 1507105051
What’s evident is that more of these scenes and media representation of the LGBTQ+ community are needed, not less.
@malloriekrizan The kiss everyone’s talking about. Pixar’s first gay kiss. I didn’t post this for a debate or whether or not you think it’s wrong or right. I only posted it because there are so many questions regarding this scene. #Disney #Lighthyear #buzzlightyear #pride #LGBTQ
So grab a ticket and some popcorn because despite some legitimately questionable reviews, if you want to show support for Lightyear, sitting through a mediocre movie will still be worth it for LGBTQ representation.
Gloria Anzaldúa: Trailblazer for the Queer Movement
Every Pride month we hear about various LGBTQ trail blazers but Gloria Anzaldúa especially deserves your attention.
Anzaldúa’s contributions to not only the queer community but also the Chicano/a/x movement make her an important figure to add to your list of true jefas standing in their truth.
Anzaldúa was born in 1942 to Spanish American and Native American parents in Rio Grande, Texas. Though initially affluent at the beginning of their marriage, Anzaldúa’s parents went from owning their own farmland to eventually being reduced to poverty and working the fields in order to support their family.
Her father soon realized that keeping the family in the Rio Grande area wouldn’t help to advance his daughter’s education and worked to relocate the family to Hargill, Texas. Anzaldúa would later credit this move to furthering her sympathy for the plight of immigrants and migrant workers alike, leading to her eventual status as an outspoken advocate for their rights.
Anzaldúa pursued higher education at University of Texas-Pan American (now University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English, later conferring her Master of Arts in English at the University of Texas Austin.
This experience in higher education later went on to inspire much of Anzaldúa’s writings, including Anzaldúa’s intersectional approach to inclusivity when it came to cultural, queer, and feminist theory. Her 1981 essay La Prieta was featured in the book she co-edited, This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. In La Prieta, Anzaldúa writes about the prejudices she faced growing up due to the darker color of her skin.
Gloria Anzaldua | Gloria in 1980, in San Francisco. | K. Kendall ...www.flickr.com
Arguably Anzaldúa’s most famous release is 1987’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. In this novel, Anzaldúa muses over the concept of “borders” and how they impact different social perspectives we see. In Borderlands, Anzaldúa explores Chicano identity in white-centric society, lesbians in a heteronormative world, and the role of women in Hispanic society. By bringing to light the different spaces women can exist in, Anzaldúa was among those that paved the way for Latina/x focused feminist prose.
Though known primarily for Borderlands, Anzaldúa was also a very prominent activist in the Chicano movement. This movement’s prime years took place between 1965 until 1975, and was a vital social and political movement by those of Mexican descent in the United States. This movement was primarily led by activist legends César Chávez and Dolores Huerta as they supported farm workers in establishing unions that would allow them to earn fair wages and benefits.
File:Power 1123134053.gif - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org
The effects of this movement grew to empower others to claim back their power in their communities to be able to better control their schools, funding, and allocate resources to where they needed it most.
Though Anzaldúa’s legacy continues to be celebrated by many in the literary world, the mark she left behind that helped champion intersectionality through the lens of a queer brown woman is unarguably the reason she remains so relevant today.