In the Life: Ep. 2109, "Orgullo Latino"

[Announcer] "In the Life" is funded in part by: the H. van Ameringen Foundation; Arcus Foundation; the Estate of Richard W. Weiland; Dewey & LeBoeuf; PASSPORT Magazine; and by these funders; and by the annual support of In the Life members, like you. [Host] Latinos have arrived. They're one of the fastest growing minorities in the United States. Regardless of generation and tradition, Latinos are stepping into the forefront of American culture. [latin music] [Host] Some call it "Orgullo Latino", or Latin Pride, breaking Latino stereotypes, seeking success, and of course, making a difference. One in six Americans identify as Latino. They are considered the new baby boom. Although the number of Latinos is on the rise, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Latinos still face big obstacles. "In the Life" takes a look at the triumphs and the challenges they encounter: homophobia, a lack of inclusiveness,  leadership, and the need for a unified voice. ["In the Life" theme music] [pop latin music] [Host] What is being called the new American reality, Hispanics have reached a tipping point, changing the landscape of a nation. [Ruth Gaviria] It's a great time to be Latino in the U.S. Biculturalism is not only about language, it's about living the American dream and bringing the dreams from your country of origin here and living them here. [Host] This impact has also affected the LGBT community. [Joel Jaro] The LGBT Latino community offers a special kind of richness to the North American culture. The fact that there's in many cases a dual, dual identification - identification with the country of origin and identification with, with the U.S., brings with it uniqueness. [Host] Today, LGBT Latinos live in multiple realities. In Los Angeles, television personality Eduardo Xol plans his next move, while activist Richard Zaldivar works to build community. Anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell prepares for her show in New York. In Miami, two women work to keep their family strong. These trail blazers are leading the way and stepping up to create change in their own fields. We will come back to them later. But first, we meet Daniel Hernandez in Arizona. [Newscaster] Breaking news for you. It's coming out of Tucson, Arizona, [Newcaster] Cops say 22 year-old Jared Loughner went on a shooting spree during Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' meet-and-greet at a Tucson supermarket. [Host] January 8, 2011, just five days into his internship with congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Daniel was asked to help out at a campaign event. It was just like any other Saturday morning. 10 minutes into the event, we, we start hearing shooting. [Newscaster] 14 people wounded! Six people... [Newscaster] Newspaper is reporting that among those shooting victims is congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford. [Daniel Hernandez] As I got closer, I actually realized that she did have one very obvious injury, a gunshot wound to the head. So I noticed that she had started to breathe in some of her blood, so I got down beside her and I kneeled. I then propped  her up against my chest using my bare hand. [President Obama] And Daniel, I'm sorry. You may deny it, but we've decided you are a hero. [Host] The congresswoman lived and Daniel was thrown into the national spotlight. He was featured on a full-page in OUT magazine. It became a platform for him to get involved in activism. [Hernandez] Hi, I'm Daniel. What's your name. [Girl] Hi, I'm Amy. [Host] Daniel is only 22. He's a senior in political science at the University of Arizona and serves on a local school board. [Pedro Julio Serrano] Daniel Hernandez is a great role model. He saved Gabrielle Giffords' life. And that showed that LGBT people not only are, you know, are human beings, but they can also be heroes, you know, in moments of, of great despair. [Richard Oceguera] It's wonderful to see a Latino getting recognized at this level. Someone who's in politics who made a difference by saving the congresswoman's life, but then taking it to the next level. I just know that I'm really enjoying what I'm doing right now, which is advocacy. I love public service. And I realize that I probably will never be one of the people who's extremely wealthy because I'm such a person who values public service and none of those jobs really pay all that well and I'm okay with that. [Host] Daniel's story transcends gay male stereotypes. A groundbreaking new study co-released by the National Council of La Raza also debunks stereotypes, showing that Hispanics are more likely than the majority of Americans to support the LGBT community. [snapshot noises] [Host] This young gay Latino symbolizes hope for those seeking the strong national leadership that existed with Llego, a former LGBT Latino rights organization in Washington DC. We used to have a national LGBT organization and that existed for about 12 years. I'm a Chicana lesbian from Santa Fe, New Mexico. [Host] Gloria Nieto is a former member of the Democratic National Committee and currently a writer and activist. She took over as executive director of Llego after her predecessor stepped down, but after only one month, Llego closed. [Gloria Nieto] Boy those were some very dark days, having to look people in the face and tell 'em that they didn't have jobs anymore. It was unfortunate how it turned out that our only national Latino LGBT organization, you know, it had to close its doors because of what happened. So for me it's, it's a very sad chapter in our history. With Llego, I think we had a place at the table in terms of D.C. and politics - power dynamics in terms of politics. Llego also was successful in raising federal funds to do technical trainings to some of the local organizations in the different cities throughout the United States. [Host] The Centers for Disease Control commissioned an investigation to find out what happened to the millions of dollars it gave Llego for HIV prevention efforts. The probe found the organization wrongly allocated some of the CDC funds. [Nieto] It would appear that we don't know how to handle money. [Nieto] As the reports that the CDC issued, it looks like money was taken in to be used for one thing but then was used for another. I feel bad like, you know, like I wish I could have done something different. I really wish I could have done something different and I did the best that I could. And I think that most people did the best I think that, that they could. [Host] Herb Sosa created the popular gay bilingual magazine, Ambiente. He also heads the Unity Coalition in Miami Beach, one of the several regional groups that relied on Llego for support. [Host] He says many LGBT Latinos felt  abandoned after Llego shut its doors. [Herb Sosa] It surprised all of us. We were six weeks before their following conference which was to be in Seattle. And 200 plus of us national leaders still went to Seattle and sat around these rooms where we were supposed to have conferences and just said, "Well what do we do now?" [Host] Years after the collapse, people are still looking to advance LGBT Latino causes. Well there's several issues that affect the Latino LGBT community that don't necessarily affect the Anglo LGBT community, certainly immigration issues, bi-national couple issues, you know, those are key issues in our community. There's also the racial and economic justice component of it, you know?  Because we, we not only have to face homophobia, we also have to face racism and xenophobia within our struggle as Latino LGBT people. [Host] After Llego, some leaders formed a group that was supposed to be that missing voice. But today, it's only a fraction of the size of what Llego was. [Serrano] Unid@s is the National Latino LGBT organization. It's trying to get off the ground. And it has been working for several years. It's critical that it lifts, you know, to, to another level to, to be more visible and more proactive in the work that it's done - it does. I do think that that after Llego folded, there is this hesitancy of, of getting support, you know, for another national Latino LGBT organization. And I think they have to prove themselves even more than just about any other organization because of it, even though it wasn't their fault. [Host] Some say a national LGBT Latino organization is not the answer. [Oceguera] There are so many organizations that exist. So many, already. Probably too many that exist for various causes and advocacy. What is needed is leadership. There's a gap of leadership in this country and Latinos have an opportunity to go, to become leaders within the organizations that exist. [Host] As with Daniel Hernandez's story, a leader can emerge out of a tragic event. In Los Angeles, The Wall Las Memorias Project is a small organization dedicated to the memory of those who have died from AIDS. There are six painted murals here at Las Memorias. The themes are various themes: women with AIDS, gay men and AIDS, family and Latino AIDS, a child with AIDS. [Host] Founder Richard Zaldivar commissioned these large murals in honor of a close friend who died of AIDS. [Richard Zaldivar] I made a commitment to God to make a difference in my community. We started building the monument, but more important of all, we started building community. To build an AIDS monument on the east side of Los Angeles which is traditionally very Latino and very conservative culturally, we had to organize community. [Host] After more than ten years of delays due to funding obstacles and homophobic opposition, the site was finally dedicated in 2004. [Zaldivar] And it was a very difficult time for my staff, being called ugly names that were very homophobic, even getting death threats, because they didn't think that building the monument in the public park was a proper place for an AIDS monument. [Zaldivar] But today I think the monument reflects where I'm at in my life, that no prejudice or homophobia is gonna move me from this world, move my voice. [Host] The good news is the 2012 data finds Hispanics will continue to be more tolerant as they associate with other segments in society. [Jaro] The dynamic has shifted in terms of what a traditional family is viewed as now. Two fathers, two mothers, single dad, single mom, and the extended family as well. It's a, it's a dynamic that that's shifting, shifting rapidly. [Host] This dynamic is reflected in the family of Mayda Perez and Simone Mayer. [Simone Mayer] The fact that we've been together for, for over 20 years is, you know something that's constantly a surprise to people. And, and you know, they're very, you know, encouraging. [Mayda Perez] You want 'em fried, you want it scrambled? [Mayer] I think that maybe is kind of a sad thing that people don't, don't expect couples to be together as long as as we've been together. [Host] Mayda and Simone founded a successful global business and live in Miami with their three children. [Mayer] We knew we wanted to be in a family that had that  kind of love, that had children, you know, that was very close-knit. [Host] Mayda gave birth to twins ten years ago. Two years after that, Simone gave birth to their son. The couple decided to adopt each other's children in 2008, but state law prohibited it. [Mayda Perez] When we started talking about this with our friends, our straight friends [Mayer] Our straight friends, yeah. [Perez] they were appalled. They're like, "What? You guys are a family." [Mayer] "Why can't you adopt each other's children? That makes no sense." [Host] The two went to court and a  judge granted them the right to adopt, following a similar landmark ruling involving another gay couple in the state. Research shows that Latinos who know at least three or four LGBT people are 81% more likely to support gay adoption. [Perez] I think the stereotypical thinking is that Latinos are very homophobic. [Mayer] Right. [Perez] And, and and it's been exact opposite for us here, you know. The majority of our friends are all Latino. Everybody's been very, very accepting. [Host] Part of the acceptance is the exposure and visibility of high-profile out Latino celebrities like Perez Hilton, Christian Chavez, Wilson Cruz, Harmony Santana, and of course, Ricky Martin, who came out of the closet in 2010. It was a move that shocked fans all over the world. He's since been the biggest source of pride for all LGBT Latinos. [Serrano] It - when Ricky Martin came out, it moved the tectonic plates of the Latino community. [Andres Duque] I was very surprised when he came out and in the way he did. He didn't use publicists. He didn't make it part of a tour, of a promotional, you know, thing for a record, because he wasn't putting any record out at that point in time. He also went to a website, his website and sort of like wrote this statement saying, "I'm proud to be homosexual." [Host] Ruth Gaviria is senior vice president for corporate marketing at Univision in New York. The network aired an unprecedented special after Martin's coming out, something unheard of before in mainstream Spanish-language media. [Ruth Gaviria] My mother is 80 years old and she saw that interview. And my mother grew up in Colombia, bien católica, and she gave me a call at home and she was in tears. And she goes, "Did you see Maria Elena Salinas and the interview with Ricky Martin? I am so proud that you work at Univision." [Host] Ricky Martin is certainly the biggest LGBT Latino name, but you don't have to be a celebrity to make a difference. And now on with the program. [Host] Meet Ali Curi , a New York businessman who has hosted a regular series of networking events for Latino professionals for years. He is about to talk openly for the first time about being gay in front of this crowd of business people. [Ali Curi] As a gay man if you don't own it in a way that you accept it, then no one else is really going to. [Host] A day after Ali opens up about his experience. [Curi] It was unbelievable that - the outpour of support was, was great, but my biggest fear was certainly the acceptance from my peers. [Host] For Ali, being out of the closet was always a delicate issue, whether he was working in a large corporate setting or amongst other Latino professionals. [Curi] The struggle in corporate America is more so about the Latino-think where they encouraged you to be less Latino, to assimilate more. On the flip side, once I started working with Latino professionals, you know obviously I could be as Latino as I wanted to be, but just, you can't be as gay as you want to be. [laughs] [Host] And that same complexity applies to religion. How do you stand in truth when religion and faith are still points of conflict among LGBT Latinos? [Host] Carmen Hernandez is a reverend in Bronx, New York, who also runs an LGBT Chamber of Commerce. She has her own perspective on spirituality. [Carmen Hernandez] No matter who you are, God is with you. And it's funny because in my home, that's when God told me to come out. Because I was struggling with it. And God said, "I want you to be real, come out and I'm gonna show you that I'm the same God." And He has. [Host] Carmen and her wife were married in 2011 after marriage equality became legal in New York. [Hernandez] Thanks to my wife and I, a lot of straight Latinos and Latina and couples understand the - you know, they said that we were very positive role and the way we express ourselves is not like the way they think of what LGBT is. [Host] According to new research, acculturated Hispanics tend to be more tolerant toward gays and lesbians. Conflict with LGBT acceptance can vary depending on the generation. That's why some LGBT Latinos have left Catholicism and Christianity for other faiths. Celebrity makeup artist Gabriel Noda in Miami has practiced Nichiren Buddhism for years and draws on it for strength and inner self worth. [Gabriel Noda] Hello my name is Gabriel Noda, international makeup artist for Gabriel Productions. Buddhism is based on respecting the dignity of the human being. [chanting] [Noda] All of us are equal so it really fights against anything that doesn't respect humanity or equality in life. [music] [Host] Back in Los Angeles we found out it takes courage to come out of your comfort zone and live your truth, as celebrity Eduardo Xol did when he decided to come out of the closet several years ago, while working as a Spanish-language soap opera star in Latin America. [Eduardo Xol] So I created this character  that was for all practical purposes, not gay. And it got to a point where it was difficult and stressful. I found myself being unhappy a lot of times. And on one of my trips back to United States, I found out about the Matthew Shepard incidents. And I think that's what convinced me to take the step and come out of the closet professionally. [Host] That decision transformed Eduardo's life. [Xol] Most of the people that were working with me at the time, kind of abandoned me, because I, and, and the people around me were making money off of that image that was not gay. [Host] Eduardo is now known for his role on the hit ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". And I'm happy to say that I think I succeeded. [Host] For seven seasons, the show was a platform for him to smash stereotypes about being gay and Latino, and to publicly embrace his bicultural identity. [Xol] A lot of times people will look at me and they'll be like, "You don't look Mexican. you don't seem like you're gay." But I am. I'm Mexican and I'm gay. And I'm tall. I have green eyes. [Host] Another LGBT celebrity who is true to her beliefs is CNN Headline News anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell. She's a proud bicultural Latina and lesbian. She's also an outspoken vegan and animal rights activist, [Jane Velez-Mitchell] People like it when you are who you are. And we're on television, so authenticity counts. And being able to be who I am, I think has only helped my career. For a long time I was living in what somebody described once as a "vertical casket". I really wasn't able to acknowledge to myself my sexual orientation and be honest with myself until I got sober. I got sober 17 years ago and it was after that that I had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, and that I had to confront myself. I'm Jane Velez-Mitchell, coming to you from New York City. [Host] Jane anchors a national primetime news show, and she has been very transparent about her past struggles, like alcoholism. She says being open hasn't hurt her career -- it's boosted it. [Velez-Mitchell] What's the shame? There is no downside. Take it from me. It was a positive. Recent survey showed less than 50% of LGBT community is out at work. And I think that is something we have to change. [Host] This celebrity anchor has embraced all of her identities. Her father is Irish and her mother, Puerto Rican. [Velez-Mitchell] The Latina I admire most is my mom. My mother came here from Puerto Rico at the age of 12, alone on a boat. She pulled herself up by her bootstraps. She supported herself and excelled. And she provided me with a tremendous example, every single day. My mother is currently 96 years old. She works. She reads. She is constantly striving to improve herself, to educate herself further, and to grow and change. So she is my biggest hero. [Host] We follow Jane to Southern California to the 33rd Annual Dinner Gala for the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, an event that honored Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in a hate crime in 1998. We are the face of the gay community and if you want to have a better image, then put your face on it and get out there and march. [Host] For Latino members of LGLA, the Gala is about encouraging others to seek success. RJ Molligan is the outgoing co-director of the organization. [RJ Molligan] My mother's mother's from Nicaragua. I bring with me a sense of pride, from a heritage of poverty. We don't have to stay stuck in roles that are defined by generations past. We can break those molds and become who we are. The biggest mistake and stereotype to me about Latinos is that because we might have an accent, we might not articulate a thought perfectly in English, that we are not smart enough, that we have not had a journey that mattered. [Host] Today there are 50 million Hispanics in the United States, and this group will represent 54% of the total population growth over the next five years. That's about one in every four babies born in this country. A March 2012 cover of Time magazine raised eyebrows when it proclaimed Latinos would elect the next President of the United States. For many Latinos it signals more political clout than ever before. What was particularly interesting is that that Time cover said, "Yo Decido". [Gaviria] The words on this cover in America, were in Spanish. There is no longer an America without Spanish language. It is part of our culture. To us, to see this in Spanish, in the language of our heart, was  a tremendous validation as to how important we are in this country. When you're looking at the electorate, we're seeing every month 15,000 to 20,000 new eligible Latino voters, but there's the potential for Latinos to become this huge voting bloc of this huge constituency that for a long time has really been ignored. [Oceguera] We're a growing population in this country. It absolutely makes sense that it will be the group that sways how this, how this next election goes. And it's exciting. [Host] Along with political strength, there is also increasing Latino buying power in the United States. [Oceguera] There's billions of dollars that corporations in America are looking to spend through minority- and LGBT-owned businesses. [Host] In Miami-Dade County, Florida, where Latinos are 65% of the total population, Latino buying power fuels the economy. Miami is the city it is today because of the Hispanic community. And the business influence, the social influence, the cultural influence, is evident every time you walk down the street. [Host] These stories reflect the complexity of LGBT Latinos in the United States. As the saying goes in Spanish, "Pa'lante", which means the only way is forward and to build a legacy that will last a lifetime with "Orgullo Latino". [Molligan] It takes a lot of grit and perseverance to continue to get up when you're knocked back down. I do get emotional because, you know, in this struggle, it's so personal, that some people don't understand that when they're talking about us in, in a homophobic way or trying to demean us, they're talking about people. I feel more of us need to take a stand as Latino LGBT leaders and get together. Do something to put yourself in the realm of other people who are successful or working on being successful. We need to empower each other without feeling, you know, threatened, but that we could go together and succeed together. And that's the problem. We're not getting to where we get  and get the respect that we deserve as Latinos community. No one's going to give this to us. We've got to take it. In fact, we've got to demand it. [Host] Thank you for watching "In the Life". To watch more portraits from "Orgullo Latino", visit our website at itlmedia.org. I love my life. I am very proud of being Puerto Rican. I am so proud of being gay and an out lesbian. I just like to be proud. I like to be proud of whoever I am and whatever I am, and I come from a really mixed bag. I've always been very proud of being Puerto Rican. I've always been very proud of being Latino. I've always been very proud of being a gay man. I'm just Daniel Hernandez, and I'm gonna keep being the best Daniel Hernandez that I know how to be. You have to set an intention to clear whatever is in the way of making your dream possible. Define the dream. I became a thought leader in the space, and I became a, you know, an advocate for leadership in and a leader myself. Every time that you reaffirm that identity, you're reaffirming your dignity as a human being. I was able to do what I wanted to do in my life. [Announcer] "In the Life" is funded in part by: the H. van Ameringen Foundation; Arcus Foundation; the Estate of Richard W. Weiland; Dewey & LeBoeuf; PASSPORT Magazine; and by these funders; and by the annual support of In the Life members, like you. [logo music]