A group of community leaders and youth gathered at the Instituo Del Progresso Latino to discuss the LGBT immigrant experience and talk about issues affecting the community Nov. 19.
The event, which the LGBT Immigrant Rights Coalition organized, brought National Immigrant Justice Center Staff Attorney Aneesha Gandhi and Hispanic Lawyers Association Chair of LGBT-Rights Committee Roberto Romero-Perez to speak in an informal setting with those who came to attend.
The two discussed the current options for binational couples in the context of Illinois’ recent passage of a marriage-equality law, asylum-seeking, the state of detention centers for LGBTQ people, the rights of trans non-citizen individuals in the United States and having LGBT-inclusive immigration reform.
Coalition Chair and Association of Latino Men for Action Board President Julio Rodriguez told Windy City Times that the evening’s conversation was partly an opportunity for individuals to find out about what legal resources were available for them.
Rodriguez also stressed political visibility to counter the LGBT-communities vulnerability.
“As we become more visible in the immigration movement, then our issues are also becoming front and center with the administration,” he said. “Trying to get them to realize these detention centers, they have quotas of how many beds to fill. What easier place to go than a gay bar, especially in an area like this in Little Village, and basically round people up who can’t fend for themselves.”
Rodriguez said that concerned members of the LGBT-community-at-large could educate themselves on the issues, and not make assumptions about individuals’ citizenship status.
“It’s a dual coming out process, if you will” he said of being gay and a non-citizen.
Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia attended the event, and spoke to the group composed mostly of young people.
Garcia spoke of his time on the Chicago City Council as an alderman, and his vote in favor of the 1986 gay-rights ordinance, which failed to pass that year. Garcia said at the time there was a lot of fear about being excommunicated by the Catholic Church, ostracized by the community and for losing an election.
“We had to really do a lot of soul-searching,” he said.
One of the youth present was Instituto Del Progresso Latino Gay-Straight Alliance President Brandon Hernandez who said as someone who cares about social justice he’s extremely concerned about the issues discussed.
“One step at a time, but if these problems haven’t been addressed by the time I get my hands on it, something will be done,” he told Windy City Times after the discussion.
Also in attendance was United Latino Pride Public Relations Co-Chair Daniel Olvera, who said he stopped by with a friend.
Olvera said the event helped him to identify how queer radical communities who are cynical of marriage could better understand how it impacts immigrant communities, but also how the mainstream LGBT community could better understand the issues besides marriage equality.
“It gave me a better sense of how our movement needs to be a little more inclusive of everybody and also a little more intersectional,” he said.
The discussion was followed by a reception with refreshments and snacks.
For more information regarding immigrant legal rights, the National Immigrant Justice Center Chicago office can be reached at 312-660-1370.