Carmen Vázquez
Carmen Vázquez | |
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LGBT rights movement , Immigrant Rights |
Carmen Vázquez (January 13, 1949 – January 27, 2021) was an American activist, writer, and community intellectual.
Early life and family
The oldest of seven children, Carmen Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Harlem. She attended the City University of New York, earning a bachelor's degree in English and a masters in education.[1]
Career and activism
After graduating, Vázquez moved to San Francisco where she lived and worked for almost two decades, becoming a leading activist in causes ranging from immigrant rights to lesbian health.
While in San Francisco, Vázquez co-founded The Women's Building, became the executive director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and then the Coordinator of Lesbian and Gay Health Services for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She was also the co-founder and co-chair of Somos Hermanas, a Central American Women's Solidarity Network.[1]
Vázquez returned to New York City in 1994 where she continued her activist work as Director of Public Policy for the LGBT Community Center (1994–2003), as deputy director for
She was the government and public policy director of the
She was honored by CUNY School of Law with an honorary degree in 2004. Her essays have been published in several anthologies. Carmen served on the Advisory Council of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation since its founding in 2003 and served as the co-chairperson of the board of directors.[4]
Death
Vázquez died from COVID-19 related causes on January 27, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.[5]
Writings and bibliography
Some of her work regarding liberation is published in conmoción, a Latina lesbian magazine created in part by tatiana de la tierra to build a platform for Latina lesbian conversation and visibility.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Collection: Carmen Vázquez papers | Smith College Finding Aids". Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ "Pride Agenda names new deputy director". The Advocate. September 16, 2003.
- The Advocate, p. 48, retrieved 24 March 2010
- ^ "Carmen Vázquez". Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ "Statement on Passing of Longtime Activist Carmen Vazquez". 28 January 2021.
- ^ De La Tierra, Tatiana. "Activist Latina Lesbian Publishing: esto no tiene nombre and conmoción." I am Aztldn: The Personal Essay in Chicano Studies, ed. Chon A. Noriega and Wendy Belcher (Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press, 2004) 195.
External links
- Carmen Vázquez papers at the Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
- The Power Of Women's Voices, Carmen Vázquez
- Voices of Feminism Oral History Project, Carmen Vázquez interview, 2005, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
- Carmen Vázquez on-camera oral history The Outwords Archive, March 29, 2019