Hispanic Heritage Honors
Upcoming annual celebration recognizes the contributions of LGBTQ Latinos in the D.C. area
The Latino GLBT History Project (LHP), a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving and educating the public about the history and contributions of D.C.’s LGBTQ Latino community, is ramping up for its annual Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Awards celebration, now in its ninth year, on Sept. 12.
The awards reception occurs annually as part of the run-up to the dual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and LGBTQ History Month, which runs through the month of October. The event features a wine reception with appetizers, entertainment and networking opportunities with 100 of D.C.’s leading LGBTQ Latino leaders from the national and local government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors.
Each year, LHP honors three leaders who have made a substantial impact on the local LGBTQ and Latino communities. This year’s honorees are: Gabriela Garcia, a health educator with NovaSalud, who will receive the Sophia Carrero Community Award; Ruben Gonzales, the chief development officer at United Cerebral Palsy, who will receive the Jose Ramirez Leadership Award; and Lena Hernandez, an associate with D&P Creative Strategies, who will receive the Latina Leadership Award.
Also featured at this year’s reception will be a digital showcase of 90 commissioned black-and-white photographs by Kevin Kenner featuring more than 20 LGBTQ Latino and Latina community members engaged in advancing social justice and cultural understanding of the Washington-area Latino and LGBT communities, complete with their biographies, known as the Heroes Latinos LGBTQ exhibition. The full exhibit will be featured online from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31. A poster featuring a sample preview of some of the photographs in the exhibit will be on display during the Heritage Awards ceremony, and will also be featured in various public spaces throughout Washington during the months of September and October.
The 9th Annual Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Awards will be held Friday, Sept. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $30 per person for general admission, though sponsorship packages are available at LatinoGLBTHistory.org or call 202-670-5547.
Organizations interested in hosting part of the poster exhibit should contact Jesus Chavez at JChavez@LatinoGLBTHistory.org.
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