[dropcaps type=’normal’ font_size=’80’ color=” background_color=” border_color=”]I[/dropcaps] was in Phoenix when Mijente officially launched in June of this year. It is important to me to be part of building a new Latinx/Chicanx political home because for too long undocumented trans women’s voices have been ignored and left out of critical life changing decisions in the world and in our movements.
I see this alternative political home as a way to bring our experiences and pain to the center of the movement. It is a critical approach in the Latinx/Chicanx community to let us lead the way. I believe that our inclusion is possible but it requires a political framework, a framework that moves away from current political status quo.
It moves away from the “good vs bad” narrative and embraces the complexity of life and lifts up the people left behind. We all say we can’t get justice for some and not others, but it’s another thing to make that our actual practice.
I’ve learned to trust my own voice and the importance of speaking up but that’s not what gives me courage. What gives me courage is a fierce community of people who I know share my vision and I trust to have my back.
That’s what we need to build together because that’s what makes it possible for us to stand up when we need to and not just for ourselves but in a way that intersects immigrant rights, the LGBTQ community, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. We are at the intersectionality of struggles and this alternative makes perfect sense to tackle and address difficult issues.
The transgender and undocumented communities are often either interrupted or ignored by the mainstream media and organizations. It is the time to unite and fight back.
So attending Mijente in Chicago is an opportunity to connect and discuss current events and struggles and strategies. It is an opportunity to build leadership and to let the ones most impacted lead the way. Ahí estaré!
– Jennicet Gutiérrez is an organizer with FAMILIA TQLM who lives in Los Angeles, CA. You can apply to attend Lánzate December 12 & 13 in Chicago by clicking here.