Latinx Equality Alliance

The mission and vision of Latinx Equality Alliance (LEA) is to promote liberty, equality, and justice for the Latino/a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + community. LEA is located at Mi Centro LGBTQ Community Center in Boyle Heights.As a non-profit organization with a strong focus on family acceptance, LGBT equality, and immigration reform; LEA engages Latina/o LGBT community leaders and organizations in direct action organizing to address issues of bullying, homophobia, xenophobia, family separation, violence against youth, homelessness, high health risk behaviors and HIV/AIDS.

Latino Equality Alliance is committed to recruiting and developing leaders in the Latino/a LGBTQ community to continue the work of bringing equality and justice to our community. LEA utilizes the tools of advocacy, community engagement and public education to build healthy and safe environments for LGBTQ community.

Programs:

• Leadership Development – Latino Equality Alliance offers training and opportunities to develop the advocacy and leadership skills of LGBTQ individuals.
• Community Outreach – Through outreach and civic engagement, Latino Equality Alliance provides visibility and resources at community events, schools, social venues, and fairs.
• College Access and Success Support – A support program for LGBTQ students attending local colleges and universities.
• LGBTQA Youth Council – The LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Ally) is to build leadership and community organizing skills in order to create a safer, more inclusive and supportive spaces at home, school and in the communities in which we live. Council meets every 2nd Monday of the month at Mi Centro LGBTQ Community Center (553 S. Clarence St., Los Angeles, CA. 90033) in Boyle Heights. Monthly gatherings include presentations, workshops, leadership training, college application support, field trips and social events. All students age 13 to 21 are invited to participate.

Projects:

Anti-Bullying School Climate Public Education Initiative – Latino Equality Alliance offers a series of audience-appropriate workshops to students, parents and school administrators in area high schools with a goal to develop a safe school climate for LGBTQ youth.

Southeast Los Angeles Civic Engagement Project – A strategic regional initiative that will develop young leaders and change public policies through education and engagement in the communities of Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, Maywood, Walnut Park, South Gate, Commerce, Bell Gardens and Lynwood.

For more information on programs and/or to request an outreach participation please contact Director of Public Education, Juan Castillo-Alvarado at education@latinoequalityalliance.com

LEA is a grassroots organization established in November 2008 as an alliance of individuals and representatives from several organizations who came together to work on the No on Proposition 8 campaign in East Los Angeles (Prop 8 was the anti‐marriage equality ballot initiative). As a result of No on Prop 8 work in both the LGBTQ and Latino communities, LEA founders recognized a need to coordinate efforts to increase support of LGBT people and issues in the Latino community. LEA is active in community organizing and building support for LGBTQ rights throughout Los Angeles County through a variety of activities including public education, community forums, organized actions, coalition building and leadership development.In 2015, in partnership with Los Angeles LGBT Center, LEA celebrated the opening of its new home at Mi Centro LGBTQ Community Center – Boyle Heights located at 553 S. Clarence Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033. Phone: 323-286-7224.

Advisory Board*

Ari Gutierrez Arambula, MBA, President

Marco Antonio Gonzalez

Mercedes Marquez, Esq.

Marco Miranda Gallo

Jessica Correa

Cesar A. Portillo, MBA

Matthew J. Barragan

Elizabeth Lopez

Marco Antonio Valadez

Staff*

Eddie Martinez, Executive Director director@latinoequalityalliance.com

Eddie Martinez (PGP: He/Him/His) is the executive director of Latino Equality Alliance. Eddie is a co-founder of LEA and had served on the board for six years before stepping down to serve as executive director. He has more than 20 years of non-profit management and civic engagement experience including 18 years tenure with The Wall Las Memorias Project, an HIV/AIDS organization in Los Angeles. He studied business marketing at Long Beach State University.

Juan Castillo-Alvarado, Director of Public Education education@latinoequalityalliance.com

Juan Castillo-Alvarado (PGP: He/Him/His) is the Director of Public Education. Juan is a longtime resident of Echo Park. He has been with Latino Equality Alliance since 2012 and oversees the management of programs and outreach efforts. He has played a pivotal role in engaging youths and parents for the anti-bullying program in Boyle Heights through the Building Healthy Communities program. Prior to LEA, Juan was a bilingual teacher for ten years at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy.

Charlie Ruiz Vazquez, Community Organizer outreach@latinoequalityalliance.com

Charlie Ruiz Vazquez (PGP: He/She/They) was born and raised in Boyle Heights. They are currently a senior at Cal State Northridge and receiving their Bachelor’s of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing. They have been an active member of LEA’s LGBTQA+ Youth Council for 2 years. They are also involved with the Boyle Heights Building Healthy Communities collaborative by helping advocate and create LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces.

Youth Advocacy

LGBTQ Youth Council are all student lead teams, consisting of interns for LEA from Theodore Roosevelt High School and Felicita and Gonzalo Mendez High School.

Affiliates

LEA is affiliated with the following schools: Theodore Roosevelt High School, Felicita and Gonzalo Mendez High School, Lynwood Unified High School, Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School, USC East College Prepartory High School, Hollenbeck Middle School, Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Esteban Torres High School, and Woodrow Wilson Senior High School.

Our work is made possible with the support of our partners and individual donors:

LEA plans to start or continue the following projects:

• Have student lead LGBTQ youth council lobby Ref Rodriguez (LAUSD Board Member) to enforce FAIR Education Act in all LAUSD schools.
• Have student lead LGBTQ youth council lobby Ref Rodriguez (LAUSD Board Member) to change single-stall bathrooms to gender neutral bathrooms.
• Create a curriculum that would help develop leaders in the Southeast region that would create policies to protect the LGBTQ community.
• Establish a Queer and Trans Young Men of Color Program Initiative where professionals and graduate students who identify as Queer and Trans Men of Color could develop a mentorship where they assist Queer and Trans Youth (men) of color.