As members of both [undocumented and LGBT] communities, we know what is like to deal with laws that foster an environment of hate toward our people. – Julio Salgado
We’ve been using the term “intersectionality” a lot around GBM lately. It’s one of those made-up words that I usually don’t like (I’m looking at you, incentivize), but the concept it embodies is essential to our work and mission. We support and advocate for human rights for all people, most particularly those who are marginalized by society, but we have to be careful not to further marginalize people by focusing on only one part of who they are. For the sake of their well-being (and ours), we must invite them to bring their whole selves to the table.
When we work for racial justice, we’re not advocating only for African-Americans but for all people of color, some of whom are immigrants. When we work for economic justice, we’re advocating for struggling people across the spectrum of racial and ethnic backgrounds. And when we work for immigrant justice, we’re advocating not only for heterosexual immigrants but also those who are LGBT.
