Culture and Recruiting
Latino LGBT History Project offers open house ahead of Pride; seeking immigration experts
Like the five other LGBT organizations in the District sharing space with The Center, the area’s LGBT community center at 1810 14th St. NW, the Latino GLBT History Project is losing its office space on June 18 due to development along the 14th Street corridor.
At least there will still be time for the Latino GLBT History Project to host an ”open house” gathering, from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 15, at their 14th Street space.
”We’re planning to recruit people to serve on the board of directors,” says José Gutierrez, founder and president of the group. ”We’re also going to start planning the fourth annual DC Latino Pride, so it’s going to be a ‘town hall’ focusing on that and the needs of the Latino LGBT community. We’re also going to do a presentation of our history.”
The annual Latino pride event, this year on Friday, June 11, is set to follow the same format as last year’s event evening celebration.
”It’s important to have the conversation every year because we have a lot of unmet needs.”
Gutierrez says a hot topic this year is immigration, and the pride event will reflect that.
”Latino Pride is going to be focused on immigration, because of what’s happening in Arizona right now. We’ve been getting a lot of calls here from LGBTQ Latinos who are concerned about having to carry around [identification] papers and what that means.”
Gutierrez says that while his group recruits board members at the May open house, he’ll also be looking for immigration experts and activists to serve as panelists at the June 11 pride event.
For more on the Latino GLBT History Project, visit LatinoGLBTHIstory.com.
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