Having an ally can make a big impact on​ the lives of LGBTQIA+ people. Research shows those LGBTQIA+ members who have supportive families and communities have greater self-esteem and resilience and ​are at a lower risk of negative outcomes like depression, hopelessness and substance abuse.

ACTIVITIES DAY 1

Launch of the Zero Homophobia Campaign 2021. This town hall will gather community activists from Puerto Rico, New York, Chile and California to explore the current policies that affect and empower our LGBTQIA+ communities.

Diana Feliz Oliva has worked in the field of social services and public health for over 25 years. Her work began in 1994 with the County of Fresno – Department of Social Services to her position as HIV Community Liaison at Gilead Sciences in 2017, making her the first openly Transgender person hired by Gilead. Because of her unique and valuable expertise on Transgender and HIV issues, Diana was promoted to Senior Manager in Public Affairs in 2019, in which, she has been developing a national Transgender Community Engagement Strategy by any biopharmaceutical company in history. As of January 2021, she has become the Associate Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement in Public Affairs and will launch the first-ever global Transgender Community Engagement Strategy for Latin American countries.

A graduate of Columbia University with a master’s degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the HIV + positive communities, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched.

Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera (they/them), M.A., is a cultural sociologist with expertise in sexual trauma, healing, and liberation for marginalized people. They are an internationally known gender non-conforming speaker, trainer, and consultant. Ignacio is the Founder and Executive Director at The HEAL Project, where they work to prevent and end Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA). Ignacio is the host of Connecting The Dots, an interview show on how CSA shows up in everyday media, as well as the co-host of Caution: Unrestricted!, a talk show that breaks open sexual stigma and taboo. You can follow Ignacio’s work on social media (IG-FB-TW) @heal2end, and on their website heal2end.org.

Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera (ellos/ellos), M.A., es un sociólogo cultural con experiencia en trauma sexual, curación y liberación para personas marginadas. Se trata de una fuente como oradora, formadora y consultora que no se ajusta al género y es reconocida internacionalmente. Ignacio es el Fundador y Director Ejecutivo de The HEAL Project, donde trabajan para prevenir y acabar con el Abuso Sexual Infantil (CSA siglas en Ingles). Ignacio es el presentador de Connecting The Dots, un programa de entrevistas sobre cómo aparece CSA en los medios de comunicación cotidianos, así como el copresentador de Caution: Unrestricted!, un programa de entrevistas que rompe con el estigma y los tabú sexuales. Puedes seguir el trabajo de Ignacio en las redes sociales (IG-FB-TW) @heal2end, y en su sitio web heal2end.org.

Pedro Julio Serrano is an internationally recognized human rights activist, he is Puerto Rican born and proudly gay. He was the first openly gay and HIV+ political candidate in the history of Puerto Rico. He is the founder and executive director of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s. He is a member of the Broad Committee for the Search for Equity and of the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association. He served as director of media and public relations for the National LGBTQ Task Force in New York and Office Director of the first Puerto Rican to be president of the New York City Council. He served as director of the Transalud Clinic and the Life Program of the Municipality of San Juan. He currently serves as associate director of Waves Ahead, creating the department of community development and public policy.

Erika Montecinos Urrea, periodista, activista lesbofeminista y fundadora de la Agrupación Lésbica Rompiendo el Silencio. Ha desarrollado su activismo por 20 años participando de diversas iniciativas vinculadas a la visibilidad política de lesbianas en su país. Como comunicadora, ha aportado desde su conocimiento para el avance de los derechos y reconocimiento de las comunidades LGTBI Q+ en todos los territorios.

ACTIVITIES DAY 2

Oasis LGBTS Wellness Center in partnership with PFLAG NYC will host a webinar to understand the negative effects of homophobia and the importance of having family members as allies to address and eradicate homophobia.

Drew has worked professionally at PFLAG NYC since 2007, but his involvement goes back even further as a volunteer and recipient of PFLAG’s services since he came out as gay while at Amherst College. Drew leads the PFLAG NYC team, setting strategic direction, and growing the organization through fundraising, marketing, and communications. Prior to PFLAG NYC he worked as a consultant in corporate strategy and leadership development. But he’s always had LGBTQ activism in his blood, having been involved in the fight for LGBTQ immigrant and refugee rights since the 1990s when he co-founded one of the organizations that became Immigration Equality.

 

LoAn is the proud mother to a queer daughter with transgender experience. In her prior career, LoAn was a classroom teacher to 1st and 2nd graders in Florida, California, and China. She sought out PFLAG NYC when she relocated to New York City. After a year as a community volunteer, she joined professionally in 2019 and is responsible for support programs, training facilitators, and guiding individuals who reach out to PFLAG NYC for assistance. Within PFLAG NYC, LoAn has been a strong advocate for API Rainbow Parents, promoting culturally sensitive communication and programs to support parents and children of Asian & Pacific Islander backgrounds. Outside of PFLAG NYC, LoAn can be found volunteering with the Ali Forney Center in the capacity of meditation facilitator.

ACTIVITIES DAY 3

IG Live Chat with radio MC Oscar Alonso Rodriguez directly from Cuba that will focus on how the LGBTQIA+ movement has advanced in Cuba and the response to homophobia and transphobia. During this day, we invite folks to share a picture on Twitter with a person they consider an ally with the #MyBestAlly is…… To view this event via Instagram, please follow @oasislgbts on Instagram.

Oscar Alonso Rodríguez born in Santa Cruz del Norte, former province of Havana, now Mayabeque. He studied a degree in computer science education, although since the age of 16 he has been professionally dedicated to Radio and Television Locution. At this moment he works at Radio Ciudad de la Habana doing the radio show “Aqui Na Ma” with music and news. His favorite hobbies are going to the beach, the theater, musical concerts and spending time with his best friends.

ACTIVITIES DAY 4

This workshop, facilitated by the Zero Transphobia team will cover, the current anti-trans legislation and advocacy steps. In these critical times— with a rise of anti-trans bills— we continue to witness decreased protections and increased legislative attacks in several states and Puerto Rico with detrimental impacts to the transgender community.

Currently working as a Gender Equity- Capacity Building Assistance Specialist for Latino Commission on AIDS and involved with NYSDOH HIV Advisory Body (HAB) as an active member. Former Coordinator of Trans Health Clinic for two years at APICHA CHC and Medical Case Manager for the Trans Family Program at Community Healthcare Network. Former Case manager for homeless women for six years at Bowery Resident’s Committee. Daniela is a native Ecuadorian and a woman of the transgender experience whose main goal is to create a so much-needed cultural change in our local, nationwide, and global communities as much as possible. Her unique career path has a meaningful impact on the awareness of the more pressing issues of the LGB communities, cisgender women, intersectional minorities, but especially Trans and gender variant communities. She loves gardening, illustrating, and working on DIY projects she finds online during her free time. Her vision and long-term goal are to amplify the education around Trans/GNC health issues to more agencies, service providers, health departments, and the community at large.

Joaquín Carcaño calls home both the Rio Grande Valley of the Texas-Mexico border and Durham, North Carolina. He is a queer, transgender Mexican-American man and the Director of Community Organizing for the Latino Commission on AIDS, Latinos in the South program working regionally from North Carolina to Texas.  He is a member of the board of directors of the LGBTQ Center of Durham, the Southern AIDS Coalition, and the ACLU of North Carolina.

ACTIVITIES DAY 5

Discrimination in health care settings endangers LGBTQ people’s lives through delays or denials of medically necessary care. This webinar will address this issue and show the importance on how healthcare providers can be allies to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Francisco Ruiz is the Team Lead for the National Partnerships Team within CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP). In this capacity, his primary role is to provide leadership for the development and maintenance of partnerships initiatives that advance DHAP’s national HIV prevention goals. Mr. Ruiz serves on the leadership team that provides strategic direction for the development and dissemination of scientific, statistical, visual, and technical communications on HIV. Prior to joining CDC, Mr. Ruiz served as Senior Manager at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) where he provided guidance to state and local health departments on how to address the disproportionate impact of HIV among the most impacted communities. Additionally, Mr. Ruiz served for two years as Chair of the National Latino AIDS Action Network (NLAAN), a network of civil society and key stakeholders that identifies and prioritizes the key HIV prevention, research and care and treatment needs of Latino communities.

In 2010, Mr. Ruiz was included in POZ Magazine’s inaugural “100 Most Influential AIDS Advocates.”  His commentary and work has appeared on various media outlets such as Destination Casa Blanca, POZ Magazine, NBC Latino, NPR Latino USA and AIDS.gov. Mr. Ruiz received a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Loyola University Chicago and an M.S. in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in New York City.

The campaign is an initiative to create awareness about the negative effects of homophobia in society, particularly in the Hispanic community. It aims to create discussion and action at different levels, such as schools, houses of worships, work places, health care settings, and most importantly, family.

This year’s theme is “My Best Ally Is …” which will allow LGBTQIA+ community members to identify who their best ally is –that special person who empowers them to be the best versions of themselves.

Download Poster

> English: [1] [2] [3] [4]
> Spanish: [1] [2] [3] [4]

LGBT Resources

Resources for Spanish-speaking LGBT People

Download Fact Sheets

Homophobia and Transphobia Fact Sheets Series

Zero Homophobia 2020: My Best Ally is My Family

Remembering the 49: Pulse Remembrance June 2019

This town hall will gather community activists from Puerto Rico, New York, Chile and California to explore the current policies that affect and empower our LGBTQIA+ communities.

Launching of the ZERO Homophobia Campaign

Five things to never ask a transgender person

The Riddle: New Anti-Homophobia Message

Publicidad Sprite Orgullo LGBT – You Are Not Alone

No movement can thrive without partners. Only as a community we will reach zero homophobia. If you’re the leader or member of an organization and would like to get involved in the campaign, sign on and let’s get started. You can start by fostering an environment within your organization that doesn’t allow homophobic sentiments. Or you can organize an event or initiative for the community you serve. Big or small, any positive action will create visibility to eradicate homophobia.

In preparing your event, feel free to use the poster of this year’s campaign, share Zero’s social media posts with your contacts, watch and share the videos, download, adapt and disseminate the fact sheets.

The Zero Homophobia Campaign is actively looking for partners among different sectors of society, including:

  • Hispanic/Latino service organizations
  • Local and national LGBTQ community centers
  • Community based organizations
  • Religious/Church/Spiritual leaders
  • Elected officials
  • Hospitals, clinics, community health centers
  • Colleges or universities, student groups, fraternities, sororities
  • Medical association, business associations
  • Corporations and mom-and-pop shops
  • Retail stores

FACT SHEETS

Eliminating homophobia and transphobia is a collective, community effort and we invite you to be part of it. By joining the campaign, you will part of a network that will receive resources, training and capacity building to support your ZERO activities.

zero-partners-oasis
zero-partners-acacia
zero-partners-translatina
zero-partners-nyic
zero-partners-hispanic-federation
zero-partners-centro
zero-partners-chn
zero-partners-commission
zero-partners-cflafh
zero-partners-callen-lorde
zero-partners-brooklyn
zero-partners-amida
zero-partners-aid-for-aids
zero-partners-center
zero-partners-harlem-united
zero-partners-avp
zero-partners-buddies-nj
zero-partners-mount-sinai
zero-partners-camba
zero-partners-transgrediendo
zero-partners-ali-forney-center
zero-partners-lgbt-network
zero-partners-haf
zero-partners-lorena-fund
zero-partners-oltt
zero-partners-vnsy
zero-partners-nyc-immigration
zero-partners-queens-pride-house
zero-partners-housing-works
zero-partners-wyckoff
zero-partners-arianna
zero-partners-bienestar
zero-partners-dixon
zero-partners-destination
zero-partners-lgbt-cancer-network
zero-partners-pride-pr
zero-partners-coa
zero-partners-viiv
zero-partners-mixteca
zero-partners-coai
zero-partners-nc-action
zero-partners-tag
zero-partners-translatina-coalition
zero-partners-vac
zero-partners-ventanilla
zero-partners-voces-latinas
zero-partners-hmi
zero-partners-estrella
zero-partners-hrhcare
zero-partners-ararat
zero-partners-qlatinx
zero-partners-mimpact
zero-partners-lrlp
zero-partners-pflag
zero-partners-nyc-health
zero-partners-honor-41
zero-partners-brooklyn-pride-center
zero-partners-heal-project
zero-partners-vida
zero-partners-queeer-theater
zero-partners-pjp
zero-partners-prevention-305
zero-partners-rompiendo-silencio
zero-partners-apicha
zero-partners-gilead
zero-partners-waves-ahead