By Tichike Tumalan
On July 22nd, at the Lisa Isadora Cruz Trans Empowerment Center, community members came together for, “Voces Para La Igualdad”, a powerful storytelling training focused on discovering how our individual experiences can create awareness, inspire action, and build bridges across communities. Sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, CALOR, ViiV Healthcare, and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, the training provided participants with tools to develop and share their personal narratives as a way to advocate for change and strengthen the voices of our communities.
The workshop reminded us that our stories matter. When we share our experiences, we create opportunities for others to understand the realities facing our communities and to recognize the strength, resilience, and diversity within them. Several of the conversations also addressed issues affecting trans and queer people of color, highlighting the importance of making space for our voices and ensuring that our communities are represented in conversations about equality, dignity, and social change.
A special thank you to the CALOR team for your partnership, support, and commitment to creating spaces where our communities can come together, learn from one another, and build collective power. We look forward to continuing this work together, strengthening our relationships, and creating a stronger network of trans and queer Latine leaders and community members across Chicago and beyond.
We also want to recognize Mila Genesis Hellfyre Hernandez, Senior Manager, Strategic Outreach & Training, for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, for facilitating this important training and helping participants understand how storytelling can become a tool for advocacy and transformation.
Turning Our Stories Into Action
The work does not end when the workshop is over. Our call to action is to keep telling our stories, keep building relationships, and keep showing up for one another. When we connect our individual experiences to the larger issues affecting our communities, we can turn our voices into collective action.
As part of this continued commitment, a small team of trans Latine individuals from Chicago, including trans staff from the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, will be attending the National Trans Visibility March in Puerto Rico this October. Their participation represents an opportunity to bring Chicago voices into a broader movement for trans visibility, dignity, and equality while strengthening connections with trans communities across Puerto Rico and beyond.
Our stories connect us. Our voices move us forward. And when we work together, we can build a stronger, more visible, and more powerful network for trans and queer people of color.
