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Day 16 of LGBTQ History Month

In pursuit of building a strong community amongst the gay Latinx community of San Jose, Rodrigo Garcia and Omar Nuñez founded Colectivo Acción Latina de Ambiente, ALA, as a volunteer-run grassroots organization in 2011. Before this, Rodrigo had founded De Ambiente, a youth support group for young gay Latinos at Outlet. Having been involved in this and at Aguilas (an intervention program for bisexual and gay Latinos in San Francisco), Rodrigo had already seen the benefits of creating a Latino-based LGBTQ support group. Seeing the lack of organizations — especially in absence of ProLatino — Rodrigo linked up with Omar, who was working at the PACE Clinic and former ProLatino organizer. Together, along with the assistance of AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement) and the Billy DeFrank Center, Colectivo ALA was formed.

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Day 15 of LGBTQ History Month

Santa Clara County established the Gender Health Center in November 2018—the first of its kind in the nation. The Center provides access to specialized health care for all trans, non-binary and gender diverse folks. The need for the health center came after then-President of the Board of Supervisors Ken Yeager called for a health assessment of the LGBTQ+ community in his January 2013 State of the County address. Unsurprisingly, the report found that 28% of transgender, gender non-binary, and gender expansive people had experienced healthcare discrimination, while 38% were unable to access medical care at all.

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Day 14 of LGBTQ History Month

The first county-level office of its kind nationwide, the Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs opened its doors in January of 2016 under the advocacy of Supervisor Ken Yeager. Since then, the office has provided support to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as acting as a central resource hub on LGBTQ+ issues and concerns. Because of its innovative work, other government agencies throughout the country have created similar offices.

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Day 13 of LGBTQ History Month

Ray Aguilar was a local San Jose drag queen whose activism played a crucial role in promoting the inclusion and health of LGBTQ+ people in the drag community. Without Ray, the Imperial Court of San Jose would never have come to be. Ray Aguilar passed away due to complications from AIDS in February 1995 but is legacy lives on.

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Day 13 of LGBTQ History Month

In the 1960s, San Jose drag performers only had an informal community. Together, they would travel up to San Francisco to world-famous drag shows. But everything changed once Ray Aguilar, a local drag queen, requested permission to form an IICS chapter in San Jose, which formed as Casa de San Jose of Santa Clara County Inc in the early 1970s. In 1990, the organization was reincorporated as The Imperial Royal Lion Monarchy, Inc. of San Jose. Casa de San Jose elected a full royal court every year: an emperor and empress, crown princes and princesses, czar and czarina, and grand dukes and duchesses.

The Imperial Court of San Jose was unique in that people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations were welcome to join. Any San Jose resident could vote for their favorites on the court. Winners were then escorted on stage to be crowned by the host emperor and empress.

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Day 12 of LGBTQ+ History Month

Content warning: homophobic violence & graphic language.

On June 11, 1991, 42-year-old gay, civil rights activist William (Bill) Kiley was tending to the lawn of his San Jose rental property, just across the street from his home, when he became the victim of a hate crime. As Kiley finished watering his tenant’s lawn, he was approached by Joshua Huff, the swastika-sporting 17-year-old who lived next door with his parents. Huff began to verbally assault Kiley, eventually punching him in the face. Kiley sprayed Huff with his hose to get him away, but Huff only removed his jacket, and yelled, “Come on fucking faggot!” over and over as he slammed his fists into Kiley’s face, and his feet into his chest and stomach.

Kiley had already suffered at length at the hands of his neighbors who repeatedly verbally harassed him with homophobic slurs and damaged his property without consequence. But today was different. Knowing that he needed a way to prove the hate crimes, Kiley placed a handheld camera in his living room window and set it to record as he managed his rental property.

That day, he caught the whole attack on tape.

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Day 10 of LGBTQ+ History Month

Remember when we used to go out on Saturday nights? We miss it too, but in the meantime, you can fix yourself a drink at home and explore our historical gay bars & clubs map! Did you know that in 1986, San Jose had 13 gay bars in operation? We still have three: Splash (@splashsjc), Renegades (@renegadesbar), and Mac’s Club. Be sure to check out they’re reopening status and support your local businesses!

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Day 9 of LGBTQ+ History Month

Content warning: discussion of transphobic and homophobic violence.

On October 3, 2002, San Jose resident Gwen Araujo attended a house party with Michael Magidson, Jaron Chase Nabors, and Jose Merel. Upon discovering Araujo was trans, the three men, along with a fourth unnamed assailant, brutally attacked Araujo before strangling her, hitting her over the head with a shovel, and burying her body in a shallow grave in the El Dorado National Forest, four hours from her home.

At Araujo’s funeral, her mother Sylvia Guerrero released 17 butterflies, one for every year of Gwen’s short life.

The proceeding trial was a landmark case in “panic defense” tactics. The panic defense has robbed LGBTQ+ folks of justice for decades by excusing their murderers for reasons like “heat of passion,” effectively suggesting that the deaths of people like Gwen Araujo are somehow justified.

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Day 8 of LGBTQ+ History Month

Roger Chow’s fight for representation began in the fall of 1992 when he met with Dino Ago to discuss the dire need for a support group for Asian LGBTQ+ people. It was from that meeting that Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) was born. AACI would later grow into South Bay Queer and Asian, or sbQA, a safe space for the pan-Asian community to receive support and counseling as well as help with family, financial, immigration, and mental health issues.

sbQA has never stopped fighting for their community. Through the years, they have overcome controversy and membership crises with determination to continue providing fun events and crucial services for pan-Asian LBGTQ+ people and their families. In 2020, that means helping many people face the very real threat of deportation, which would mean losing their homes, jobs, and way of life.

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