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Queer Brown Voices: Personal Narratives of Latina/o LGBT Activism
In the last three decades of the twentieth century, LGBT Latinas/os faced several forms of discrimination. The greater Latino community did not often accept sexual minorities, and the mainstream LGBT movement expected everyone, regardless of their ethnic and racial background, to adhere to a specific set of priorities so as to accommodate a “unified” agenda. To disrupt the cycle of sexism, racism, and homophobia that they experienced, LGBT Latinas/os organized themselves on local, state, and national levels, forming communities in which they could fight for equal rights while simultaneously staying true to both their ethnic and sexual identities. Yet histories of LGBT activism in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s often reduce the role that Latinas/os played, resulting in misinformation, or ignore their work entirely, erasing them from history.
Queer Brown Voices is the first book published to counter this trend, documenting the efforts of some of these LGBT Latina/o activists. Comprising essays and oral history interviews that present the experiences of fourteen activists across the United States and in Puerto Rico, the book offers a new perspective on the history of LGBT mobilization and activism. The activists discuss subjects that shed light not only on the organizations they helped to create and operate, but also on their broad-ranging experiences of being racialized and discriminated against, fighting for access to health care during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and struggling for awareness.
Queer Brown Voices is the first book published to counter this trend, documenting the efforts of some of these LGBT Latina/o activists. Comprising essays and oral history interviews that present the experiences of fourteen activists across the United States and in Puerto Rico, the book offers a new perspective on the history of LGBT mobilization and activism. The activists discuss subjects that shed light not only on the organizations they helped to create and operate, but also on their broad-ranging experiences of being racialized and discriminated against, fighting for access to health care during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and struggling for awareness.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
17 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 18, 2016
For anyone interested in histories of LGBTQ activism, this is an important book to read, especially if you're looking for narratives that integrate important (and often overlooked) issues of race, ethnicity, immigration, and nationality within queer studies. There are rich histories here, especially of local and state-wide (although also national) organizing and activism in the U.S.
September 2, 2015
Fantastic! Groundbreaking. Full of valuable stories and information. Very accessible!
June 25, 2022
an excellent collection of personal narratives from Latina/o LGBT activists from the 1970’s/80’s/90’s. required reading for white gays. really eye opening and perspective changing.
November 13, 2025
This book would make a very good thesis. It definitely reads as such. The stories were very powerful and definitely enlightening of how it was to be queer in 1970s-1990s. However, it is VERY repetitive. Every essay/oral interview discusses the same topics: it discuss the same organizations that were creating in this era, discusses the same issues and problems these organizations faced, discusses the same challenges of the AIDs epidemic, and discusses the same events. Yes, at first it is very interesting. But after the first or second story, it is just too repetitive. I really wanted to learn more about individual stories and see how each persons journey differentiated from the other but most were just too similar. I also wanted to learn more about modern day issues and successes of being queer and latino/a in America. Additionally, I know this book is aimed specifically for queer latino/as, but the whole point of the book is for LGBT+ activism to be more intersectional. So with that being said, if their goal is to gain more intersectionalism, I wanted to be able to hear stories of Black queer people or even MORE stories of trans people and people who identify as bisexual during this era. Just feels like they contradicted their own goal. Overall, decent read but not the best. There’s definitely better books to read that discuss queer brown voices.
June 27, 2019
Informational, driven, outspoken. This compilation of oral (sometimes translated) histories is absolutely stunning. From archivists to activists, each chapter author brought something new and hugely important to LGBT communities, whether it was translating important medical information after the outbreak of AIDS, or finding space for like-minded people.
With perspectives of Latina/o and Chicana/o gay, lesbian, and trans folks, this compilation becomes easily an important piece of literature in regards to the broader conversation. Though these oral histories focus largely on the 80s and 90s, it is necessary to remember them today: we must support more than just the mainstream movements and organizations. We must support all members of the LGBT community, and provide not only access to information, but access to leadership roles as well.
Honestly, this book was just incredible to read through--the mix of personal experiences and identities that all drove the authors to do something so incredibly needed and important, the ways that their activism were similar and different, how their information was archived. Just. Incredible.
Review cross-listed here!
With perspectives of Latina/o and Chicana/o gay, lesbian, and trans folks, this compilation becomes easily an important piece of literature in regards to the broader conversation. Though these oral histories focus largely on the 80s and 90s, it is necessary to remember them today: we must support more than just the mainstream movements and organizations. We must support all members of the LGBT community, and provide not only access to information, but access to leadership roles as well.
Honestly, this book was just incredible to read through--the mix of personal experiences and identities that all drove the authors to do something so incredibly needed and important, the ways that their activism were similar and different, how their information was archived. Just. Incredible.
Review cross-listed here!
July 13, 2018
What I love about this book is that it is a collection of narratives. It does not try to tell a single story/history, but rather let's that history be formed by a variety of perspectives. These are people who have paved the way for young queer Brown folks like me, but often receive little to no recognition.
Some chapters personally resonated with me more than others. Some chapters taught me of issues within our own Latino community that I've only recently started noticing and critiquing.
As someone who is queer and Brown, this book felt like an essential. Growing up, I always felt a little out of place. I felt like I was somehow betraying my Latinidad as I came to terms with my queerness. And the queerness presented to me was very white-- especially when it came to non-binary gender identities. To read these narratives reminds me that being part of the LGBT+ community is not just for white people. It is a community for me, too. For Brown me.
I am so sad that I ever felt like Latinidad and queerness had to be mutually exclusive. That I thought there were hardly other queer Latinas/os/xs. Wow, was I wrong.
Some chapters personally resonated with me more than others. Some chapters taught me of issues within our own Latino community that I've only recently started noticing and critiquing.
As someone who is queer and Brown, this book felt like an essential. Growing up, I always felt a little out of place. I felt like I was somehow betraying my Latinidad as I came to terms with my queerness. And the queerness presented to me was very white-- especially when it came to non-binary gender identities. To read these narratives reminds me that being part of the LGBT+ community is not just for white people. It is a community for me, too. For Brown me.
I am so sad that I ever felt like Latinidad and queerness had to be mutually exclusive. That I thought there were hardly other queer Latinas/os/xs. Wow, was I wrong.
November 3, 2019
I am so happy I discovered this book at my college library. I learned so much and believe that this book is a very important way to archive history. This book features 14 stories by latin@s that share their stories of contribution and advancements for the Latinx LGBT community during the 80s and 90s in the United States. This book covers the accomplishments that these leaders achieved with high stakes and obstacles, and their involvement in organizations such as Orgullo, LLEGO, LUNA, etc. All storytellers highlighted the importance of having a clear unity with academia and community in order to progress. This book was also a reminder that identifying LGBTQ and being a minority causes struggles of not being accepted in one space or the other, and the importance of being inclusive.
Personally, I would have loved it more if we had fewer stories with a longer span of time or background. There were about 5 different activist stories that simply blew me away, and I wanted to learn so much more about their life. Queer Brown Voices was highly focused on the activism these leaders were involved in, and I simply wanted to know so much more.
Personally, I would have loved it more if we had fewer stories with a longer span of time or background. There were about 5 different activist stories that simply blew me away, and I wanted to learn so much more about their life. Queer Brown Voices was highly focused on the activism these leaders were involved in, and I simply wanted to know so much more.
September 5, 2023
The valuable stuff, in my opinion:
Oral history! These are stories proving without a doubt that grassroots activism can be both critically important and heartbreakingly simple. People want community! For example, is there a safe space to be yourself as a queer Latina mom? Prior to the ubiquity of social media, there might not have been. There's homophobia in Latino/a spaces, and racism in the gay bar. The groups that worked to create communities specific to multiply marginalized communities were doing real life grassroots organizing including the serious and very heavy task of educating each other about AIDS. These stories also illustrated the tension between grassroots organizations and the bureaucracy of 501(c)3 nonprofit groups.
And here's what was frustrating about these stories: So so so much exposition. Just tell the stories already. 21% of the way into the audiobook, it was still just explaining methods and importance of stories, but no stories had been told yet. I can appreciate the importance of capturing this data, but it was hard to engage.
Oral history! These are stories proving without a doubt that grassroots activism can be both critically important and heartbreakingly simple. People want community! For example, is there a safe space to be yourself as a queer Latina mom? Prior to the ubiquity of social media, there might not have been. There's homophobia in Latino/a spaces, and racism in the gay bar. The groups that worked to create communities specific to multiply marginalized communities were doing real life grassroots organizing including the serious and very heavy task of educating each other about AIDS. These stories also illustrated the tension between grassroots organizations and the bureaucracy of 501(c)3 nonprofit groups.
And here's what was frustrating about these stories: So so so much exposition. Just tell the stories already. 21% of the way into the audiobook, it was still just explaining methods and importance of stories, but no stories had been told yet. I can appreciate the importance of capturing this data, but it was hard to engage.
August 22, 2022
I was excited to read this, but then was disappointed finding that there is only one section—at the very end—featuring the accounts from a trans woman. While there are brief mentions of Sylvia Rivera’s contributions, I wanted more trans stories.
Adela Vázquez’s oral history interview was very good, but there should have been more stories told by Black trans Afro-Latinas , and more trans Latine people in general. They exist, because I do, and I wanted to hear from them.
Adela Vázquez’s oral history interview was very good, but there should have been more stories told by Black trans Afro-Latinas , and more trans Latine people in general. They exist, because I do, and I wanted to hear from them.
March 1, 2024
Fourteen powerful stories of discrimination, exclusion, love, love in the time of AIDS, loss, community, betrayal and triumph.
It was a big of a slog to read. Each narrative was short and fairly cursory. I felt like someone was telling me someone else's story.
I suspect as an artifact of how the text was produced, there was a sameness to the voices I can't imagine was accurate.
But a fascinating stories of who we are.
It was a big of a slog to read. Each narrative was short and fairly cursory. I felt like someone was telling me someone else's story.
I suspect as an artifact of how the text was produced, there was a sameness to the voices I can't imagine was accurate.
But a fascinating stories of who we are.
January 27, 2022
This book highlights so many different experiences and community-organizing efforts of queer Latine folks. The path is never easy for people who pave the way, and I'm glad these stories have been shared.
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September 24, 2019Powerful personal narratives outlining queer Latinx history. Last chapter of a Cuban trans woman is my favorite!
June 21, 2021
Great resource for those interested in first hand accounts of the birth of the LGBTQ latina/o community in the states.
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November 16, 2015306.76089 Q382 2015
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews