Targets of hate: lesbian and gay Latinas/os

Imagine being threatened, harassed and even killed for simply being who you are: Latino, gay, transgender, an immigrant.

Well, it happens every day. According to official statistics from the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Latinas/os are victims of hate crimes in alarming disproportion. Of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims, 25 percent were Latinas/os. Add insult to injury; Latinas/os and others who are the victims of hate-motivated crimes have no federal protections.

All this could change this year. Congress is currently considering a federal hate crimes bill that will help rectify these injustices. It is critical that Congress approves the bill and President Bush signs it into law. It is especially critical to us, in light of the debate over immigration that feeds the prejudices of people who utilize our differences to divide this country.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Latinas/os are at greater risk of being victims of hate crimes because of the prejudice against our sexual identities and of the racism against our Latino identities in some sectors of society.

The assassination of Julio Rivera in New York is a brutal example of the intersection of homophobia and racism. Julio, a 29-year-old Latino gay man, was brutally killed by three individuals, who were part of a racist group called Skinheads, motivated by hate of Julio’s sexual orientation and Latino identity.

In a marked contrast of the intolerance of a few, the affirmative response from Julio’s family and community was impressive. Outraged by this horrible murder, the gay community in Queens established the Pride celebration every June, built two community centers and supported an openly gay candidate that ran for City Council.

I can relate to these tragedies because I lived through the ordeal of being a victim of a hate crime. Four individuals intercepted me while I was driving in my native Puerto Rico, came out of their pick-up trucks with guns and shouted, “faggot, we are going to kill you.” Fortunately, I’m still alive. But the unforgettable scar of homophobia, hate and intolerance stills persists in the deepest part of my inner self.

With the love and support of my family, and under the leadership of the Human Rights Foundation of Puerto Rico, my testimony helped pave the way for passage of a hate crimes law in Puerto Rico that covers sexual orientation and gender identity.

Fortunately in both cases, the hope instilled in a response of love and solidarity prevailed in our respective families and communities. While claiming justice for the families struck by hate, these communities came together to ensure that their communities became safer and more welcoming for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. In each of these communities, love triumphed over hate.

It is time, long overdue, for the national Latina/o community to stand up for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and support federal hate crimes legislation that includes protections against attacks committed based on the sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim.

It is time that our familia makes room for everyone, where we all can live in love, in the love of familia.

This piece was published in Spanish in El Diario/La Prensa on June 23, 2007.

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