Pride in Our Work

LGBTQ Definitions*

This is not a complete list of definitions pertaining to this topic.

Sex – The classification of people as male or female. At birth, infants are assigned a sex, usually based on the appearance of their external anatomy.

Gender – A series of social conventions (expectations, conduct, roles) that are usually identified as masculine or feminine. The second feminist movement made the distinction between sex (biological characteristics) and gender (the result of socialization).

Gender Binary System – The idea that there are only two genders – male/female or man/woman and that a person must be strictly gendered as either/or.

Sexual Orientation – Describes an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same.

Homosexual – A person who is primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex.

Gay – 1. Term used in some cultural settings to represent males who are attracted to males in a romantic, erotic, and/or emotional sense. 2. Term used to refer to the LGBTQ community as a whole, or as an individual identity label for anyone who does not identify as heterosexual.

Lesbian – Term used to describe female-identified people who are attracted to females in a romantic, erotic, and/or emotional sense.

Bisexual – A person emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to males/men and females/women. This attraction does not have to be equally split between genders, and there may be a preference for one gender over others.

Queer – “Queer” is a reclaimed word that was formerly used solely as a slur but has been taken up by members of the maligned group who use it as a term of defiant pride. For decades, ‘queer’ was used solely as a derogatory adjective for gays and lesbians, but in the 1980s, the term began to be used by gay and lesbian activists as a term of self-identification. Eventually, it came to be used as an umbrella term that included gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. Nevertheless, a sizable percentage of people to whom this term might apply still hold ‘queer’ to be a hateful insult, and its use by heterosexuals is often considered offensive.

Homophobia – Derived from the Greek for “same” and “fear.” It refers to the fear/hatred toward lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people.

Heterosexism – The system that normalizes and maintains heterosexual conduct and heterosexual relationships to the detriment of human conduct and relationships of a sexual orientation different from the heterosexual (for example, state benefits for heterosexual married couples).

Gender Identity – One’s internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender. For transgender people, their own internal gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Most people have a gender identity of a man or a woman (or a boy or a girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices.

Transgender – Derived from the Latin word for “crossing.” An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including transgender. It is regularly abbreviated as “trans.” Use the descriptive term preferred by the individual. Many transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to change their bodies. Some undergo surgery as well. However, not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon medical procedures.

Transsexual – An older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities. Still preferred by some people who have permanently changed or seek to change their bodies through medical interventions (including but not limited to hormones and/or surgeries). Unlike transgender, transsexual is not an umbrella term. Many transgender people do not identify as transsexual and prefer the word transgender. It is best to ask which term an individual prefers. If an individual prefers the use of this term, it should be used as an adjective: transsexual woman or transsexual man.

Transphobia – Fear of or hate toward people who do not meet gender conventions.

Coming Out – May refer to the process by which one accepts one’s own sexuality or gender identity (to “come out” to oneself). It may also refer to the process by which one shares one’s sexuality or gender identity with others (to “come out” to friends, etc.). In recent years, undocumented immigrants have adopted the term when referring to a public sharing of their immigration status.

Discrimination – Prejudice + power. It occurs when members of a more powerful social group behave unjustly or cruelly toward members of a less powerful social group. Discrimination can take many forms, including both individual acts of hatred or injustice and institutional denials of privileges accorded to other groups. Ongoing discrimination creates a climate of oppression for the affected group.

LGBTQ Ally – Someone who confronts heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexual and gender privilege in themselves and others; someone who has a concern for the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; and someone who believes that heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia are social justice issues.

* We used various resource to write these definitions, including curriculum from the School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL), and http://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender

Kassandra

Member of Casa Latina – Seattle, WA

“I always knew I liked boys and that I liked to dress up.”

Unfortunately, for me in my childhood, I was physically, verbally, and mentally abused. My mom never supported who I was – she always knew that I was going to be gay. And I always knew I liked boys and that I liked to dress up. I don’t know if I was especially abused because I was her only kid from her first marriage or because of my sexual and gender identity, but I was treated worse. I knew who I was and what I wanted, but I wasn’t understood. When Three Kings Day arrived, I wanted dolls. I used to trade my sisters for their dolls and tea sets.

I came to the US in 1987. I was already married – things didn’t work out for obvious reasons. My cousin told me he got a ticket for me, so it wasn’t really a decision, but I guess it was kind of to escape my marriage. I went to Fresno, CA. I was 17, and I worked in the fields until I was 21. I was in the closet, pretending to be a straight guy. I didn’t start coming out until I moved to Seattle where I didn’t know anybody. It was easier for me to be somewhere where no one knew me. I could do whatever I wanted and nobody would notice. So, I came out, and I started living my gay life. I can remember exactly the day I decided I wanted to be a transsexual. I connected with this organization called Entre Hermanos Latinos. We marched for gay pride, and I was dressed up. We were with another friend, dancing with 6-inch high heels on. Everybody cheered. It felt so great! This is me! That’s who I am. I’m not gonna hide anymore. I just want to do what my heart tells me to do. That’s when I decided to become a transsexual. I didn’t transition until I was almost 30 years old. It’s been ups and downs since I made that decision. It turned my life around completely, changed everything. It’s not easy, but I don’t regret it. I think that’s the best decision I’ve made in my life. It hasn’t been easy.

My family has accepted me, but it was hard. When I was a boy, I would hide myself. That’s why I got married, had a lot of girlfriends. When I was telling my brother, he said, “I know.” They always knew. I had spent so much energy pretending, but everybody knew I was gay. I learned about accepting ourselves for who we are. That can be the hardest thing.

I worked as a housekeeper for many years and got connected with Casa Latina. When I came to NDWA events, I would feel nervous, wondering how people are going to see me, treat me, react. It was a very good experience for me. Everybody respected me, treated me right, and I got to meet a lot of great people.

I haven’t been participating in Casa Latina for a while. A couple of years ago, there was this guy who was just homophobic. He would talk behind my back, which I just had to ignore. One time we got into a confrontation at the weekly membership meeting. He was insulting me in front of everyone, and we got into an argument. I felt really bad. Half of the day laborers were with him, even though he was talking shit. Of course, I reacted – I had to defend myself. I felt really bad because people were supporting his crap, saying I was rude, but didn’t talk about why I reacted. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to react, but I was pushed to it. Casa Latina backed me up 100%, but we both got suspended.* I got really disappointed and stopped being active, even after the suspension ended. I was really upset. That guy never came back either.

Unfortunately, the majority of discrimination I’ve experienced is with my own people, with Latinos. We have to stop discriminating against each other. Sometimes I want to go back and become a member again to help and be part of it.

Since then, I went back to school and got my GED. I want to have a career as an interpreter.

*Note from Casa Latina: Kassandra was sanctioned according to the rules of conduct of the Work Center of CL for one week for a lack of respect. In the meantime, the male worker who provoked and insulted her was suspended for one year and needed to, as a condition to return to the organization, take training about the rights of the LGBTQ community provided by the Office of Civil Rights of the City of Seattle.

Leah Obias

Organizer with Damayan New York, NY

I am in Washington, DC for a retreat for the Beyond Survival Campaign, along with four trafficking survivors, leaders of Damayan, and we are about to leave the rental house. We are going to the campaign report launch, and as such, we are appropriately dressed. I’m in a suit jacket, tie, and pants. Before leaving the house, one of the workers, Judith, stops me at the door to adjust the fold at my pants. “Sandali – ayusinkomunaangbinata (wait – let me fix our young man).” We all laugh heartily.

As a masculine-of-center, queer woman, I am often mistaken for a man. We call this misgendering – referring to someone by a gender to which they do not identify. It’s most often unwelcome. But the type of joking that happens in Damayan, when spoken with affection by workers who know me well, signals a kind of acceptance and openness. Workers like to show me pictures of their daughters who are “like me”. I sense a pride that I hope their daughters know their mothers have. One of our leaders has a daughter who is a “tomboy” (in the Philippines, “tomboy” means lesbian), and she calls me her daughter because she says we look similar. She talks to me – sometimes through tears, sometimes with laughter – about what her daughter is like, how she misses her daughter and her grandchildren (this daughter has two children with another woman). She hasn’t seen them in three years; she hasn’t met one grandchild yet. As a trafficked worker, she will soon receive her T visa, but her daughters are over-age for the T visa derivative, and she will have to wait another three years for her green card in order to go home to the Philippines and see her family.

Personal connections mean a lot to me as an organizer. I come to this work as my complete self. Workers, who open up their deepest traumas to the organization and trust in the organization completely, know my story as well as I know theirs. I believe that in order to be lasting and strong, we have to build our movement on authentic connection. But let’s get at the systemic issues. At a recent leadership retreat, Damayan held a workshop on anti-LGBT violence, where workers recognized commonalities between the violence experienced by LGBT folks, by women, and by workers on their jobs. We showed a video showing photos of trans people whose lives were lost in anti-transgender violence, so many of them youth and children. Several of the workers were brought to tears; most were not aware of how much violence trans people face. Queer folks appear in popular Filipino culture mostly as entertainment and for comedic effect. But what about queer and trans domestic workers? What about the particular violence and discrimination they face as they cope with multiple oppressions? These are the types of questions we ask in Damayan and discuss with our members.

I recently asked Judith to join Trans Day of Action here in New York, taking place in two weeks. Without hesitation, she responded, “Oonaman! (Of course!)” Here’s to a joyful and just Pride Month.

“The value La Colectiva brings is the value that all human beings need – dignity and respect.”

La Colectiva de Mujeres, San Francisco, CA

Guillermina Castellanos, Organizer with La Colectiva de Mujeres, shares how they’ve been able to create an environment that is respectful and welcoming for all.

La Colectiva de Mujeres is an organization made up of domestic workers, mostly Latinas, in San Francisco, which is connected to the Day Laborer Program. At every meeting, we repeat our mission and vision, which is closely related to the organization’s founding principles. We say that everyone is welcome and respected, regardless of race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, etc. When we do introductions, every woman says the mission in her own words and welcomes new participants. It’s a culture that we’re creating – it’s like reviewing a family’s values.

The value that La Colectiva provides is the value that every human being needs – dignity and respect. And we share everything from food, beliefs, culture, emotions, and traumas. We come to an understanding that taboos aren’t helpful in the creation of a better world. That helps us reflect on the fact that we are all equal because we are all human beings. And so we establish the fact that all human beings have the right to be just as they wish to be.

Flavia Sánchez

Member of La Colectiva de Mujeres

My name is Flavia Sánchez. I’m a transgender woman who came to La Colectiva in March 2014, during a really difficult time when a romantic relationship I was in was ending, and the company where I had worked for almost four years was having a downturn, resulting in me losing my job. This whole situation left me with deep depression, to the point that I could hardly get out of bed to take care of basic activities.

Through one of life’s coincidences, I got in touch with somebody who invited me to one of La Colectiva’s weekly Wednesday meetings so that I could get to know new people and maybe find a job. I had no idea how the organization functioned.

The day of the meeting arrived, and I started to feel a little uncomfortable because most of the women there come from a culture and a country that’s very different from my own. I’m Cuban, and my customs and culture are really different. I kept my distance for the first couple of weeks, mostly reserved and pensive. I said to myself, “What am I doing here? I’ve never worked in house cleaning. I don’t think I belong here.” Thank God I learned at home how to cook, clean, and keep my home in order. I thought maybe that would help me through this new phase of my life. I was thinking about not working anymore and filing for disability. I really didn’t know what the future would bring.

Things started happening little by little without me realizing. I started to feel better and get more involved in the organization. I was invited to join a committee and take on more decision-making in La Colectiva’s projects. I was given the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to represent La Colectiva in a big event with organizations from all over the US. It was an experience that I’ll never forget, where I received a lot of training and learned a lot about other organizations. When I returned, I had a lot of work waiting for me since, thankfully, a lot of the houses I had cleaned for the first time wanted me to come back.

In terms of integrating myself as a trans woman, I think I was very well received. I like to think of myself as someone who is respectable, and therefore, I gain most people’s respect and affection. Obviously, like in any place, there were some rough spots. You can’t always be liked by everyone.

I’ve also been very lucky to be well received in the homes where I am currently working, without any problems. I believe that also because of my totally natural behavior from the start, many of them did not even notice it – many of them becoming surprised when they found out. Obviously, this gave me great satisfaction because my projection was the right one, and I was not seen as the negative stereotypes of trans women who are seen as transvestites or vulgar people.

La Colectiva took me under her wing, gave me valor and strength to keep fighting against adversity. Thankfully, I’ve also been able to get a lot of work. I think it’s important to remember what working can give you. I think when you’re feeling strong and in a good and stable place emotionally, you can get past any obstacles that life puts in your way.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Creates a Group for LGBTQ Immigrants

An Interview with LETICIA ÁLVAREZ Organizing Director

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led coalition that has empowered individual and organizational members to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state. Over the past several years, TIRRC’s organizing team has developed local organizing committees in cities across the state. Currently, TIRRC’s Organizing Director, Leticia Alvarez, is working with thirteen Latino organizing committees in Tennessee. While historically these committees had been defined by city, three years ago Leticia founded the Committee of Immigrant Women of Nashville, a group of Latinas who organize for social justice from their unique experiences as immigrant women. Two months ago, Leticia worked with local community leaders to found a local organizing committee specifically for LGBTQ immigrants. Leticia talked with us about how this program came into being and her hopes for where it will go.

Why did you decide to create a group for LGBTQ immigrants?

For years, LGBTQ immigrants have been involved as leaders in our work and in our local organizing communities. But while many LGBTQ members have been on the front lines of our campaigns for immigration reform and immigrant rights, we never engaged in intentional work or specific campaigns around the unique experiences of LGBTQ immigrants. I was approached recently by a man who was a former member of a youth group I coordinated years ago. He’s in his 30s now, has come out of the closet, and wanted my support in creating a film about homophobia. Through those conversations, he suggested that we start a group. Over the years, other members have talked about the need for this kind of space, too. And while I saw the need for this kind of program, I didn’t feel like I was equipped to create it myself because I didn’t have any resources or materials to work with, and I myself don’t identify as LGBTQ. But after a few conversations, we decided to go for it and launched the group in Nashville about two months ago.

What does the program consist of?

Over the past two months, the group has met every Monday for two hours. We decided that it could be really informal, and that we would just provide this space for immigrants who identify as LGBTQ to come together. We wanted it to be participant-led, but upon the members’ request, we have partnered with a local mental health organization that has provided some counseling and support to the group. The group is still forming and setting a vision for their work together and in the broader coalition of TIRRC. After two months, we have about 8-12 members who meet each week. They’re a diverse group in terms of age, immigration status, and country of origin.

So far, what are you hearing from participants about why this group is important for them?

It’s a space for them to talk about the discrimination they face as LGBTQ people who are also immigrants. People are able to share their experiences about being discriminated against in their workplaces because of their orientation. I also want to help the group develop their message and materials so that they can represent themselves and their group publicly. The members of the group—especially the youth—want some materials that can help them to educate their own family members. I’ve heard from some of the participants that they had tried to access other LGBTQ organizations, but that they felt like those spaces weren’t for them because the people in those other groups didn’t understand what it is to be an immigrant and also be LGBTQ. This group is really different because everyone understands that particular combination of identities.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced so far in creating this group?

It’s hard because we really don’t yet have the right materials for this group. In our broader organizing work, we do a lot of political education and have developed curriculum over the years. But right now, we are still looking for popular education tools for the group to use in developing their own vision and analysis together, and also political education materials for our other organizing committees and member organizations to learn and be in solidarity with this new group. We have a very diverse coalition that includes immigrants and refugees of many different faiths, cultures, and countries of origin who may not immediately understand or support why we would organize an LGBTQ committee. These are hard but critical conversations for our coalition to have.

In addition to needing these particular resources, it would be helpful for us to hear the experiences of other immigrant rights and workers’ rights organizations that have started LGBTQ organizing programs. We’re really just learning as we go along and can learn from other groups.

What advice do you have for other organizations that might want to start similar programs?

It’s really easy to feel like you can’t start a program like this because you don’t have special funding for it, or you don’t have all the materials or experience you need. My advice is to not think about those barriers! Think instead about what you can learn along the way. Once you open the space for this community to come together, so much creativity and so many ideas come from the participants themselves. We are very excited about deepening and broadening this work and look forward to connecting with other groups who are working for immigrant and LGBTQ rights.