On Thursday, June 24, Axios justice & race reporter Russell Contreras discussed the state of LGBTQ rights, advocacy, and policymaking in the Latino community and how the pandemic has impacted resources for underserved LGBTQ Latino individuals, featuring Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Latino Equality Alliance executive director Eddie Martinez.
Rep. Torres discussed LGBTQ history, the Equality Act currently being held up in the Senate, and his role as the first openly LGBTQ Black Latino member of Congress.
- On important Latino figures in LGBTQ history: "Historically, the story of the LGBTQ civil rights movement has been whitewashed, but increasingly there's been recognition of the contributions of LGBTQ Latinos like Sylvia Rivera. But it took a long time coming to listen to the conventional narrative of Stonewall."
- On the difference between legal and social equality: "Communities of color, in particular, recognize that marriage equality is only one component of legal equality and legal equality is only one component of social equality...Even if we passed the Equality Act, there will continue to be LGBTQ youth who are bullied by their peers at school [and] evicted from their homes."
Eddie Martinez highlighted coalition-building in the LGBTQ community in California and the impact of housing and education on the well-being of LGBTQ Latino teens.
- On intersectionality in the LGBTQ community: "[In 2008] the LGBTQ folks realized if we've got to win support for our rights, we've got to support the rights of others. That's when a lot of folks started building coalitions being in solidarity with workers rights, immigrant rights."
- On the homelessness crisis for Latino LGBTQ teens: "We need to make sure that we fight for safe schools, healthy schools...It all comes down to making sure they have nurturing and healthy and safe environments to grow up in."
Axios Chief People Officer Dominique Taylor hosted a View from the Top segment with Managing Director; Philanthropic Market Executive at Bank of America Patricia Chavez who discussed initiatives to support the Latino community following the pandemic.
- "One way we [supported] the Hispanic Latino community is through a partnership with a health care provider...We helped them provide services such as an increased clinic and staffing care, coronavirus testing, treatment...I'm very proud to be part of that, especially seeing the needs in California and the disproportionate impact on the Hispanic Latino community in terms of their roles as frontline workers and caretakers."
Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.