LOS ANGELES — Inside a Southeast Los Angeles co-working space hangs a painting representing what’s on the minds of Latino LGBTQ youth today. For Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez, executive director of the Latino Equality Alliance, it portrays struggles he endured.
“Our community can be very conservative, and so over the years, and when I came out, I struggled with acceptance,” he says.
What You Need To Know
- The number of Latino LGBTQ+ elected officials has exploded over the last five years
- But despite their increased visibility, or maybe because of it, there has also been a surge in anti-LGBTQ legislation
- The Human Rights Campaign counted 340 bills at the state level across the nation targeting the community
- Riverside County Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez says being part of the LGBTQ community is just one aspect of who he is, and he is focused on addressing the issues he was elected to tackle
Martinez was bullied for his soft voice — but slowly found it. First, he created the nonprofit Latino Equality Alliance, and then, he became the loudest voice in his community as one of the first open LGBTQ mayors of Huntington Park, representing 60,000 people.
He is still serving as council member.
“To me, in my faith, God made me who I am," he said. "I am no mistake."
Fifty miles east, Riverside County Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez, who came to the U.S. from Venezuela when he was a little boy, is also making history.
“It’s an honor because I’m the first Latino to be [Riverside] County supervisor for the fifth district, but I’m also the first LGBTQ member that is a county supervisor as well,” he said.
Martinez and Gutierrez aren’t alone. The number of Latino LGBTQ+ elected officials has exploded over the last five years. According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, there has been a 224% increase of Latino LGBTQ+ elected officials at the federal, state and local levels since 2017.
“That’s because we’ve had folks that have broken that ceiling," says Gutierrez.
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But despite their increased visibility, or maybe because of it, there has also been a surge in anti-LGBTQ legislation. The Human Rights Campaign counted 340 bills at the state level across the nation targeting the community.
“I think right now, we are in a very divisive space," said Gutierrez. "I’m fortunate to be in a district that is very inclusive, and that’s why I have established a LGBTQ task force committee to inform me of any issues and to inform me of ways we can promote more inclusivity."
Gutierrez says being part of the LGBTQ community is just one aspect of who he is, and he is focused on addressing the issues he was elected to tackle.
Martinez says having queer people in positions of power can help protect a community that is often the target of violence. And he will continue, he says, to empower the next generation of Latino LGBTQ+ elected officials.