Task Force Russell Roybal to be honored with Latino LGBT Heritage Award

The Latino GLBT History Project (LHP) will present the Jose Ramirez Leadership Award to Task Force Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs Russell Roybal tonight at the 7th annual Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Awards Reception. LHP will also honor Jocelyn Carrillo with the Sophia Carrero Community Award. Carrillo is a local entrepreneur and dedicated to the empowerment of the transgender Latino community. Roybal and Carrillo will be honored for their contributions to advance equality and empower LGBT Latinos/as.

The event will also feature a special tribute to Bamby Salcedo, a Trans Latina international activist who was honored by LHP with the Sylvia Rivera Achievement Award this summer during the International AIDS Conference.

October is a special time of year when Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBT History Month are commemorated. This intersection of cultures allows the LGBTQ Latino/a community in the Washington D.C. area to spotlight their unique place in each culture and recognize community members who go above and beyond.

During the event, LHP will debut 25 Años del Activismo (25 Years of Activism), a digital photo exhibit capturing moments in history over the past 25 years since the first national Latino LGBT meeting at the 1987 Gay & Lesbian March on Washington. Activists from Los Angeles to Portland to Dallas to Washington and Orlando have donated photos to recreate that moment in history of a national gathering and movement building experience. The exhibit will also feature photos donated by entertainer and community organizer Wilson Cruz and a selection of rarely seen artifacts from the LHP Archives Collection.

This annual event, which will feature hors d’oeuvres, wine and entertainment, is supported by the David Bohnett Foundation, Arcus Foundation, Brother Help Thyself, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, DC Black Pride / International Federation of Black Prides, DC Office of Human Rights, Empoderate Youth Center, La Clinica del Pueblo, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, Maunter Project, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Human Rights Campaign and QCaterers.

For more information on this reception, go here.