**The following posting is a contribution from our colleague Ivette Lopez in Austin– a member of FH Hispania and FH Out Front (www.outfrontblog.com).**
My partner has been part of an Austin lesbian Yahoo! group Austingrrls, a listserv-based organization for women in our community. One of the members recently wrote a note encouraging others to learn Spanish via particular program she had participated in the past where one can stay with LGBT friendly or LGBT families in Mexico.
Being from an ultra conservative Mexican family (as are most US Mexican Americans), I jumped at the chance to learn about families that are encouraging the acceptance of our community, IN MEXICO. CETLALIC; is a community-based organization focused on teaching Spanish to foreigners while at the same time developing Mexican communities of tolerance. An organization such as this one is important in helping the Mexican and other Hispanic communities become safer environments for gays and lesbians. See the unique cultural challenges of the Hispanic LGBT community on Logo’s news special “Los Otros”, which unfortunately, often involve violence.
CETLALIC offers progressive social justice programs such as “Coming Out: Gay Men’s Experience in Mexico,” “In/Visibility: Lesbian Lives in Mexico” and “Opening Doors: September Gay and Lesbian Program.”
I was pleasantly surprised to see organizations such as the University of Texas and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio being recognized for their participation in the program. On the Mexican side, the state of Nuevo Leon’s Human Rights Organization, and businesses like LaNeta.com, Internet for social change, are also supporters.
Programs such as CETLALIC are another step towards breaking cultural barriers and sustaining the message of equality. The support towards the organization from US entities, such the universities mentioned, are defining the voice and creating more leaders within our small but quickly growing Hispanic LGBT community. It is important to recognize the work they do and their collaborations; their experiences can be instrumental in reaching this diverse audience.
Felicidades a todos los de CETLALIC, ¡sigan adelante!
Do you know of similar organizations in your area, or perhaps ones that service a different Latin American country? Give them a hand and recognize them in your comments!
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