The Zero Homophobia/Zero Transphobia (Zero) campaign is an initiative that works to combat homophobia and transphobia, particularly within the Latine/Hispanic community. Our mission is clear: to create awareness about the harmful effects of discrimination and hate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Our goal is to foster a more respectful and loving society.
The Zero Campaign was launched in 2019 by the Latino Commission on AIDS. The campaign was born to create awareness about the negative effects of homophobia and transphobia and to bring these issues to the forefront of public discourse and action at all levels of society through our “Weeks of Action”. Zero works within policy and healthcare settings, community and arts-based organizations, and most importantly, we spark conversations among families, friends, and local communities.
Zero hosts events throughout the year with our annual campaign dates corresponding with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, observed every year on May 17, and with the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorated annually on November 20.
In response to the growing wave of hostility targeting trans and LGBTQ+ individuals, this year’s theme, “Our Pen, Our Mic,” highlights the power of storytelling as resistance. It serves as a reminder that LGBTQ+ communities have always shaped their own narratives—and that today, we continue to claim our voices to uplift resilience, affirm identity, and promote health and well-being.
This year’s IDAHOBIT theme, “At the Heart of Democracy,” reminds us that true democracy cannot exist when LGBTQ+ people are silenced or disappeared. In solidarity, “Our Pen, Our Mic”, is a declaration that we refuse erasure.
DAY ONE
Join this conversation about using art to raise public awareness for HIV, LGBTQ+ health, and community well-being. Presenters will share their experience creating art for action at last year’s LITS Encuentro conference, and highlight how performance and visual art can break through stigma. Let’s explore the important role creatives have in the collective effort to end the HIV epidemic.
Nadia is a professional bilingual actress and voice over talent with more than 22 years of experience in performing arts and entertainment. She was born in Bogota, Colombia, where she was part of several theatrical productions, and where she received comprehensive acting training at the renowned “Academia Charlot.” Nadia works with communities and organizations in and outside the United States facilitating artistic/social processes that use theater as a tool for social change. In her work, Nadia incorporates various techniques and different types of art including Theatre of the Oppressed, a technique that she delved into during her time at Augusto Boal’s CTO, Center for the Theater of the Oppressed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her workshops and processes explore oppressions and social issues, and focus on personal and social change.
Carlos (Carlitos) Xavier Díaz-Rodríguez, a proud Boricua from Juncos, Puerto Rico, embodies the spirit of activism and artistic advocacy. With a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and digital Media from the University of Puerto Rico, Carlitos has garnered recognition for his contributions to advocacy and the creation of educational and artistic activism programs in Central Florida. As the HIV Justice Program Manager and Resident Artist for Qlatinx, Carlitos employs innovative strategies to combat HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. He harnesses the power of social media and art as outreach tools. Carlitos’s artistic endeavors focus on culturally relevant and effective marketing initiatives that promote positive behavioral change within Latino communities in Central Florida and across the United States. His work has successfully connected at-risk Latinx sub-populations, including youth, LGBTQ+, women, undocumented individuals, and more, to vital HIV prevention methods and quality medical care. His profound passion lies in using authentic artistic marketing to communicate directly with the QTPOC community.
Antonio Alanís is a bilingual children’s book author, illustrator, and artist who believes stories have the power to heal, to connect people, and inspire change. As a first-generation Mexican American, Antonio draws from his own family’s migration journey and cultural traditions to create books that reflect the lives, language, and dreams of Latinx children in the United States. His stories often center themes of belonging, identity, and strength.Antonio lives in Durham, North Carolina, where he also works as a grant writer and community educator, helping nonprofits uplift voices that are often left out. When he’s not writing or illustrating, you can find him painting murals, exploring Mexico, or making tamales with his family. Through every story, Antonio hopes young readers feel seen, celebrated, and reminded that their roots are a source of strength.
DAY TWO
This session will convene experts from diverse backgrounds who deliver HIV services and prevention in the United States and Mexico. Each expert brings a personal connection to the Latine LGBTQ+ community and experience with sex-positive HIV-care and prevention. Through a short presentation and panel discussion, we will explore a holistic approach to health and wellness that centers on sexual liberation for LGBTQ+ Latine people. Speakers will examine living with HIV, HIV prevention, sexuality, pleasure, and how HIV care can go beyond access to treatment and prevention and help fully realized people strengthen connections (sexual, relational, and otherwise) to one another.
A lifelong peace advocate, community organizer, and resource mobilizer, Cuevas leads their efforts for cultural transformation by emphasizing the power of radical empathy and by centering the health and well-being of Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Queer communities at large. Cuevas drives the essential work of building a culture of peace, compassion, and change by generating resources to support racial, gender, and economic justice movements. Cuevas has guided public policy, developed political education campaigns, organized mass direct actions, designed public health messaging campaigns, and directed millions of dollars to social movements and change agents working on the frontlines of social change. Originally from Southwest Florida, Cuevas considers themself a child of the Deep South. Cuevas holds a bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and is a graduate student in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences and a Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration Fellow at George Washington University. They are currently based in Washington, DC.
Alexa Elizabeth Rodriguez is a transgender, Indigenous immigrant from Usulután, El Salvador, with over 20 years of grassroots activism. She founded the first support group for trans women and people living with HIV in her hometown and has continued her advocacy in the U.S. through roles with organizations like Whitman-Walker Health, CASA, La Clinica del Pueblo, and the DC Health Department. Alexa is the Executive Director of Trans-Latinx DMV, the only Trans Latinx led organization centering the needs of Trans-Latinx communities in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. She also serves in national leadership roles with the TransLatin@ Coalition and DC LULAC Lambda. Her work has earned her national recognition and numerous awards for her unwavering commitment to trans rights, immigrant justice, and HIV advocacy.
Axel Bautista is the Community Engagement Manager at MPact Global Action. Born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, which is where he currently lives. He studied sociology at UNAM and has been working in the HIV field since 2016, with a particular focus on human rights, healthcare access, community building and empowerment, activism, and social media content. As part of MPact, he has led different community projects all across Latin America and the USA, addressing and advocating for the queer HIV+ community. He has had the opportunities to engage with UNAIDS and WHO as a community advocate and has helped to stablished different networks of queer HIV+ activists in Mexico. He likes walks, riding his motorcycle, watching movies, and big cities.
We are actively looking for partners among different sectors of society to take the “It Ends With Me” pledge. This includes:
– Hispanic/Latino service organizations
– Healthcare providers
– 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
– Medical associations, business associations
& More!
If you’re the leader or member of an organization and would like to partner with the campaign,
email efigueroa@latinoaids.org and let’s get started.