Gay and Latino writer and activist Emanuel Xavier will come to campus to speak about LGBT and Latino issues.
Emanuel Xavier, a writer and activist, said he hopes to engage people on campus in a conversation about the intersectional issues between being gay and Latino in the United States.
“I don't expect everyone to agree with my points of view, but if it encourages discussion, my work is done,” Xavier said in an email. “My main objective would be to inspire anyone struggling with their heritage and/or sexuality to love themselves and feel free to express themselves. Our culture and who we choose to love inform our identities.”
Xavier is set to speak Wednesday in the Baker Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
“I hope that students will learn of the challenges many of us face as people of color and also understand what it is like to be LGBTQ,” Xavier said in an email. “When you happen to be both, it is that much more of a struggle. However, if we listen with open hearts, we can often identify with a universal humanity.”
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Xavier’s visit to campus is sponsored by the Multicultural Center, the LGBT Center, the Scripps College of Communication and a few other organizations on campus. He is the keynote speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month, according to delfin bautista, director of the LGBT Center.
“We talk a lot about intersectionality on campus and recognizing everyone’s multiple identities, but, often times, we don’t do a good job at programming around those intersections,” bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, said. “So here’s an opportunity to reflect a person who is Hispanic, a person who is gay, a person who’s an activist, a person who’s a writer and how all of those things play together, coexist, clash, compliment, and so it’s an opportunity to really reflect intersectionality by bringing a person who is not here to talk only being Hispanic or only being gay, he is here to talk about both of those things.”
Chris Yangas, a junior studying journalism, will interview Xavier on stage, and then Xavier will perform some of his poetry, “Americano: Growing up Gay and Latino in the USA," in between parts of the interview, according to Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of the Multicultural Center.
“We’re hoping for students to engage with him about his LGBT identity. I’m hoping we will have some English majors who will engage him about the writing process and the publishing process and what all of that means,” Chunnu-Brayda said. “As well as, I hope students engage him on issues that are not related to the LGBT community or his writing, but on topical issues that are of concern to the Hispanic and Latino/Latina community, issues around the 2016 election, issues around immigration, issues around ‘the wall.’ ”
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Oftentimes LGBT conversations tend to be predominantly in reference to white LGBTQ members, bautista said. So they are excited to have an activist come to campus who can talk about LGBT issues from the perspective of a person of color.
“Because, though there are many unique experiences, we have many similarities. It's about owning our truths,” Xavier said in an email. “Both the LGBT and people of color communities have had to fight really hard to get to where we are. The journey has been worth it but there is still so much left for us to do to make this world a better place for all of us.”
— Rachel Hartwick contributed to this report.
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