"These celebrations were where I fell in love with being a Puerto Rican-Guatemalan kid from New Jersey."

Post submitted by HRC Health & Aging Program Associate Director Marcos Garcia

Latinx Heritage Month means a lot to me because it helped make me who I am today.

Every year growing up, my hometown of Perth Amboy would come together and celebrate my many Latinx-identified neighbors — all of them so proud of where they came from. These celebrations were where I fell in love with being a Puerto Rican-Guatemalan kid from New Jersey.

I’ve kept those memories close to my heart for years and they’ve helped me adjust to a world that doesn’t always greet being Latinx and part of the LGBTQ community with the same warm welcome.

Living at the intersection of two worlds so under attack can be exhausting. You turn on the news and you see people who look and act just like me — fighting against an administration hellbent on invalidating our existence.

In my six-plus years at the Human Rights Campaign, I’m proud to see us not only elevate LGBTQ Latinx voices (like in this video), but also prioritize and tackle these issues head-on.

As we celebrate #LatinxHeritageMonth at @HRC, we sat down with advocates to talk about celebrating the intersections of Latinx and LGBTQ identities. #HispanicHeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/VOULQIIs2F
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) September 22, 2019

We’re fighting for DREAMers and the passage of DACA, and we’ll continue to work with our coalition partners to call out the atrocities facing undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers at the border.

The HRC Foundation also released two updated resources last year — both in English and Spanish — to specifically serve the LGBTQ Latinx community:

“Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Latinx Americans” was designed to aid LGBTQ Latinx Americans in navigating the intersectional challenges when coming out.
“LGBTQ Latinx Youth Report” looks at the unique struggles and challenges our youth face every day.

I am proud of the work that went into creating these resources, but there is so much more to be done.

Whether you’re an LGBTQ Latinx individual or an ally, I hope you’ll use this Latinx Heritage Month to honor the contributions of Latinx, Hispanic and Latino-identified communities, and put in the hard work it takes to make our world better.