LULAC Co-Hosts Historic LGBT Latino Convening in Atlanta

National Latino Organizations Endorse Latino Institute at Premier LGBT Conference

Washington, DC – LULAC joins almost 30 LGBT and Latino organizations to co-host Unión=Fuerza, the first ever LGBT Latino Institute at Creating Change, the premier annual organizing and skills-building event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and their allies. By bringing together diverse groups of LGBT Latinos and allies from across the country to foster supportive relationships and build capacity, the Unión=Fuerza Latino Institute aims to strengthen and unify the LGBT Latino community’s voice and advocacy.
“With over 50 million Latinos in the U.S. increasingly demonstrating strong support for LGBT equality, it is more critical than ever to invest in our Latino LGBT leadership,” said David M. Pérez, co-lead Unión=Fuerza organizer, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Director of Development, and Latino GLBT History Project President. “While many out LGBT Latinos are at the forefront of social justice movements, there is still much untapped growth to develop in order to reach our community’s full potential and more effectively address issues facing LGBT Latinos and their friends and families.”
LULAC formed the first LGBT council in 2006 affirming its commitment to equality under the law for Americans—including our LGBT brothers and sisters. LULAC stands with our great leaders like San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, Dolores Huerta, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who believe LGBT discrimination should not be tolerated. LULAC looks to continue to reaffirm the partnership between the LGBT and Hispanic communities through participation in this Institute.
The Institute will take place on January 24, 2013 in Atlanta, GA. The 25th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, is a five-day conference organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and features over 350 workshops and training sessions, four plenary sessions, and tons of networking opportunities.
“Creating Change has always been a space that celebrates all members of our LGBT communities. We are thrilled that the first-ever Latino Institute will take place at our upcoming conference in Atlanta. The Task Force is committed to the work for racial and economic justice, as seen in our focus on immigration reform. For 25 years, LGBT people of color have participated in and contributed to our Creating Change Conference. The Latino community is an integral part of our LGBT community and the LGBT community is an integral part of the Latino community. We look forward to the launch of the Latino Institute at Creating Change. Bienvenidos,” stated Russell Roybal, Deputy Executive Director of External Relations at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Sign up to declare your interest in attending the Latino Institute by clicking here. You will receive Latino Institute updates from the Institute planning committee. To attend, you must register for the 25th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Interested participants were asked to fill out an informational survey for the purposes of helping organizers create a meaningful program. Organizers are also actively recruiting Latino and ally community members, promoting the institute among media outlets, fundraising to help cover programming costs, and identifying ways that interested participants can reduce their housing and travel costs. Contact David M. Pérez for sponsorship opportunities.
To learn more about the project, visit the fully bilingual official Unión=Fuerza Latino Institute website. To receive the latest updates on the Latino Institute, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Partner organizations include ACCESO, California Rural Legal Assistance, Causa of Oregon, Corral Consulting, Entre Hermanos, GLAAD, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Hispanic Federation, Instituto Familiar de La Raza, Lambda Legal, Latino Equality Alliance/ Alianza Latina por la Igualdad, Latino GLBT History Project, Latino Network, League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC Dallas Rainbow Council #4871, LULAC Young Adult Rainbow Council #4215, National Council of La Raza, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Point Foundation, The Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP), a project of United We Dream, Resource Center of Dallas, SONG/ Southerners on New Ground, Trans Latina Coalition, Unid@s, The National Latin@ LGBT Human Rights Organization, United Latino Pride, Unity Coalition, Weingart Center Association and Wingspan. Organizations and agencies interested in becoming community partners can find more information here. 

About LULAC The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.