2016 Reports

The Intersection of the LGBT and Latino Communities

Esserman, Mark Albert; Smith, Raymond Arthur

This brief will attempt to address how the two broad LGBT and Latino communities intersect in American society. Some things to consider are the realities that in particular parts of the United States, LGBT members who are Latino/a face hostility on two fronts. They can be judged as illegal immigrants, facing potential persecution from law enforcement, or simultaneously deal with negative attitudes concerning homosexuality. I want to make it very clear that the reader must appreciate the nuance that not all Latino’s are immigrants and, vice versa, not all immigrants are Latinos. They can be very diverse politically, depending on context. There are always subtleties to be careful of when writing and thinking about groups as a whole. However, our contemporary political climate serves to bring the subject of immigration front and center when considering the topic of Latinos and their current place in the American political realm. With respect to that, I will mostly reflect on the intersection of Latinos as immigrants with LGBT issues, though this will not be my individual approach.