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| John Loza, center, a former Dallas City Council member pictured here riding in the 2004 Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, will be the guest speaker at the September meeting of Valiente. The meeting is part of a month-long schedule of events Valiente has planned to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. |
Valiente, an organization for LGBT Latinos in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, will present a series of events showcasing Latinos in film, art and poetry in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“One of Valiente’s objectives is to increase the visibility and acceptance of the diversity of our culture, history, language, sexuality and spirituality,” said Fernando Sanchez, Valiente president. “All of the events we have planned were developed with this objective in mind.”
Jesse Garcia, Valiente secretary, added, “We put special emphasis on recruiting local LGBT Latino artists to showcase their work. We wanted to celebrate this month from a gay Latino point of view, and I am pleased with the entries we have received so far. I cannot wait to promote their work at our events.”
The month-long schedule of events begin Sept. 16 with the “Diez y Seis Kick-Off Party” from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Havana’s Restaurant and Bar, 4006 Cedar Springs Road. Admission to the party is free.
Valiente and the Human Rights Campaign are sponsoring two LGBT-themed films “Inconscientes” and “Hotel Gonolin” in the Vistas Film Festival, which runs Sept. 20-24. Go online to www.vistasfilmfestivals.org for film dates and times.
Valiente is also sponsoring the LGBT-themed film “East Side Stories” in the Q Cinema Film Festival. “East Side Stories” will screen at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main St. in Fort Worth.
John Loza, an openly gay man who served on the Dallas City Council, will be guest speaker at Valiente’s September meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 21. The meeting will be at Havana’s, and admission is free.
Valiente presents a “Poetry Slam” featuring local poets and poetry from famous Latinos from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Suenos Sabrosos, 408 N. Bishop St., Ste. 105.
Suenos Sabrosos is also the site for “Noche Bohemia,” an art show on Oct. 4, from 4 to 7 p.m., featuring LGBT Latino artists from around the state.
To be a reader at the Poetry Slam, contact Sanchez by e-mail at fsanchez@aidsarms.org by Sept. 15. To submit artwork for “Noche Bohemia,” e-mail Garcia at jgarcia71@aol.com, also by Sept. 15.
Valiente will mark National Latino AIDS Awareness Day by assisting trained professionals in conducting free HIV testing at Bachman Lake on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lake is located on Bachman Drive at Northwest Highway in Dallas. For more information contact egarcia@gdcada.org.
Valiente’s October meeting, at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, will feature guest speaker Mercedes Olivera of the Dallas Morning News.
Olivera was the first nationally-syndicated Latina columnist in the United States, Sanchez said.
The meeting will be held at Havana’s Restaurant and Bar and admission is free.
Also during Hispanic Heritage Month, Valiente will participate in the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sept. 17 in Oak Lawn, and in the LifeWalk AIDS fundraising event on Oct. 1 in Lee Park.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, September 8, 2006.