FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Cathy Renna, Communications Director, 917-757-6123, [email protected]
October 28, 2026
The following statement can be attributed to the National LGBTQ Task Force:
“The National LGBTQ Task Force is heartbroken by the news of Dolores Huerta’s passing at 96. Just four years shy of her centennial, Huerta’s work in the labor force movement as co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, inspiring generations to fight for fair pay, safe working conditions and humane treatment while making a living.
The Task Force was honored to have Huerta speak at Creating Change in 2009, as thousands of guests convened to hear her keynote speech.
Some timely – very timely – excerpts from that speech:
“And what they’ve done, basically, is that by attacking the gay and lesbian transgender movement, by attacking feminists and the right to abortion, the right to choose, by attacking immigrants, basically what they have done is distracted the country because of these so-called cultural wars from the real issues, which are of course the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economic meltdown, these people who are ripping off our Treasury, ripping off investors and shareholders. And they’ve done this very, very successfully.”
She continued:
“….these are some of the issues that we can come together on.
And the other that I want to talk about is immigration, because immigrants have also been scapegoats, right? They have been scapegoats.
And what is it that the Latino community and the immigrant community – because it’s bigger than just let the Latinos – what is it that we want? We want legalization for all of the undocumented people that are here in the United States.
Now, why should they be legalized? Because you know what – everybody that’s ever come to this country – unless you’re Native American – has been legalized at one time or the other. Every single person. So, we have to remind everyone – your family came from somewhere, and if they came through Ellis Island and they could walk, they were legalized. And in the 1920s in the United States of America, we had more people who were not born in this country – more foreign-born than native-born – in the United States in our population.
So what we’re asking for all the people that are here now that are really contributing with the sweat of their brow, with the work that they’re doing, with their contributions that they’re making to our economy and yes, contributions to Social Security.
And then, what does the right wing do? They say, oh, these people, these immigrants – they’re identity thieves, they’re criminals. Well, all of the money that’s going to the Social Security number that they are borrowing, somebody’s going to get that money – they’re not. And the amount of money that they’re contributing is billions of dollars – billions of dollars to the Social Security system.
So, we’re saying, legalize these workers that are here right now because they are contributing not only with their work but financially to our system.
So this is another way that our movements here can come together to put the pressure on our congress people and our senators, say vote for legalization for all of our undocumented people that we have in our country right now.”
These words resonate with us today, as we face similar, on-going challenges and attacks.
A Latina civil-rights leader, Huerta’s efforts bridged racial and gender gaps in ways we had not seen before. Her chant “Si, se puede” became the rallying cry for Latine communities pressing for change in a nation that still dehumanizes them. For that, and her decades of activism, Huerta’s work in women’s and worker’s rights will serve as a beacon for what’s ahead.
We will continue to keep Huerta’s memory and work alive by fighting for the rights of all people, all workers, all communities. The Task Force sends Huerta and her community our condolences and love during this difficult time.”
About The National LGBTQ Task Force
The National LGBTQ Task Force builds power, takes action, and creates change to achieve freedom, justice, and equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. As the progressive voice of the LGBTQ movement and the LGBTQ voice of the progressive movement, the National LGBTQ Task Force organizes people and money in pursuit of liberation for all.
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