Going into Charlotte Pride over the weekend, a discussion near uptown Charlotte highlighted how some in the queer and Latino community are coping with recent political attacks.
"Presente and Proud" spotlighted the views of three speakers. They said fear had spread through their communities amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and efforts to strip people of their identity. Tania Jimenez, a trans woman from Mexico, was one of the speakers. She said people must show up to Pride even if they're concerned about the political climate.
“We have to fight back, even if we're scared. We have to come out because we need those spaces,” Jimenez said. "We need to spread our voices. They need to hear us up there. We're humans.”
In January, President Trump signed an executive order defining sex strictly as male and female. Jimenez oversees Asheboro Latinx Services, which supports members of the LGBTQ+ community and offers health services.
The panel also featured Lariza Garzón with the Hispanic Federation, one of the groups behind the event alongside Raíces Latino Arts. Garzón said they hosted the discussion to bridge the gap.
"Between the queer community and the Latinx community, sometimes people feel like they're mutually exclusive, and in reality, we're all the same community, and we are being really affected by intersecting systems of oppression,” Garzón said.
Daniel Valdez with Charlotte Pride was another one of the speakers. He said the discussion was also a celebration of the presence of the Latino queer community. ‘We want to grow this kind of event so more people can participate and know that they’re not alone,” Valdez said.
"Presente and Proud" wrapped up with dancing and waving rainbow flags in the air.
