Browsing Tag

Latinx

An Ode to Mami: Lessons on Womanhood

A photo of ode to Mami.

My first idea of womanhood came from my mother. I remember being a child in Colombia, physically looking up at her, and seeing her ooze femininity—although I did not have this word yet. It’s the nineties, and my mother wears lots of dresses and skirts and crop tops and shorts. I remember her in flowing skirts made of sheer fabrics and tank tops with thin straps that she wore without a bra. She always wore lots of jewelry—necklaces, earrings, and…

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Trans Latinx Liberation: Ana Andrea Molina Headlines Gender Infinity Conference

A photo of Gender Infinity keynote speaker Ana Andrea Molina.

Gender Infinity is a transgender- and gender-variant-focused conference that takes place annually in Houston, Texas. This year, it spans the weekend of October 5-6, with both days crammed full of programming that caters to the specific needs of the trans and gender-diverse population. Now in their eighth year, the conference offers workshops, discussions, community and health education, and keynote speakers on hot topics that are affecting the gender-diverse population, and specifically has included many spaces for the queer Black, indigenous, Latinx,…

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Bitter, Brown, and Femme: Meet the Founder of Popular Feminist Page Xicanisma

A photo of Cassandra Alicia, founder of Xicanisma

Cassandra Alicia, the 29-year-old founder of the popular Chicana feminist social media page Xicanisma, isn’t afraid of making her 106,000 Instagram followers uncomfortable. In fact, her tagline is “dismantling oppressive isms through tears.” Her Instagram posts highlight an array of social justice issues through photos, art, memes, and screenshots. One post, for example, is in the popular bingo meme format that points out how violent anti-sex work rhetoric can be, especially in light of recent events where a border patrol…

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Why This Femme of Color Won’t Watch The News

A photo of queer femme of color Sasha Lamprea.

At least twice a week, I have the same conversation with several different people. It starts with them trying to talk to me about something they saw on the news, followed by me letting them know that I don’t follow the news. At this point, they try to react in a neutral manner but fail, letting just the slightest bit of judgement peek through, which puts me in the position to explain: “For self-care reasons, I don’t follow the news.”…

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Reclaiming Roots: Sin Muros Theatre Festival Puts Queer Latinx Talent Center Stage

A photo of Josh Inocéncio performing Purple Eyes at Sin Muros Latino Theatre Festival.

Texas Latinx talent takes center stage this February 1 through 4 at Houston’s Stages Repertory Theatre during the inaugural Sin Muros Theatre Festival. Headlining this four-day event is the world premiere of the ancestral autobiography Purple Eyes, written and performed by queer Latino playwright Josh Inocéncio. Inocéncio, who is also a member of the Sin Muros task force committee, speaks on the festival’s intent. “We were looking to consciously represent diversity. A Latin theatre festival that pushes for female voices,…

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Why I Won’t Use Latinx

An illustration of Latinx.

In the past few years, “Latinx” has stormed to prominence—first in online communities, then in mainstream media platforms as well as academic discourse. “Latinx” seeks to end the gendered designations in the Spanish language, replacing “Latino” and “Latina” with a term that includes both genders, as well as gender nonconforming and non-binary people.…

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One Pulse, One Year Later

A picture of a memorial at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida one year late.

We got up and turned on the news while I made breakfast for everyone. There it was: Orlando. Pulse. Shooting. Gay Night Club. Latin Night. Many Fatalities. We sat there stunned. I was living in Houston at the time, but had grown up for 17 years in Central Florida. My heart shattered.…

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