This week Latinopia devotes the entire week to new homepage posts remembering and honoring the 49 victims of the Orlando massacre. Latinopia asked both gay and straight authors to contribute original pieces on the theme of Todos Somos Orlando–we are all victims of this tragedy.
We at Latinopia are particularly conscious of the fact that our Latino community has a long and troubled history when it comes to acceptance of the LGBT community. For this reason it is important to highlight our support in the face of this hate-filled tragedy. It is also an appropriate time to contextualize the use of terms and labels that call attention to our differences. Fundamentally, we are all human beings first. Our differences, whether we are black, white, Asian, Latino, straight or gay, young or old–are qualities to be celebrated. Its what makes the human race so unique and special.
It is in this spirit of celebrating our differences that Latinopia was launched six years ago. Latinopia is a site that welcomes Latinos and Native Americans from all backgrounds. We focus our attention on the arena of Latino culture and the arts in the United States and Puerto Rico, not that we don’t consider Latino sports, hard news, science and other fields important but simply because of staff limitations.
All human life is precious. The loss of a Latino life, gay or straight, is no more nor less tragic than the loss of someone who is Caucasian, Black, Asian or from any other ethnic or racial group. Nonetheless, the fact that so many of the victims of Orlando were Latinos for many of us is particularly heartfelt.
And so this week, as a community and as individuals, we pay tribute to those that were senselessly murdered. Todos Somos Orlando. We are All Orlando.
Jesús Salvador Treviño