Pride
For the month of June, we turn our gaze to the colorful rainbow flags as we celebrate Gay Pride Month. The parades and confetti that we’ve come to recognize this month came on the backs of a long line of activists who fought for basic human rights for persons of the LGBTQIA+ community.
We’re waving our flags high for one of our very own local Philadelphia activists who cemented the place for gay rights in our community.
Meet Gloria Casarez
Born in South Philly, Gloria was raised in North Philly, in the Kensington part of the city. There, poverty was part of daily life. Instead of succumbing to her environment, she rose above it to earn her college degree in Political Science and Social Justice from West Chester University. She began her activism while still in college fighting for housing rights.
Gloria would go on to serve as the Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Latinx AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI), a Queer and Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color radical social justice organization, that continues to serve the Latinx community while widening their embrace. She fought against the discrimination that transgender individuals face when accessing the healthcare system.
In 2008, Gloria became the Executive Director of the City of Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs. In her role, she pushed for the rights and protection of persons in the LGBTQ community. Under her leadership, the city passed The LGBT Rights Bill, that established rights for trans people, increased access to health care for trans people, creation of gender-neutral bathrooms in city buildings and for name and gender autonomy for trans people.
Gloria’s Enduring Legacy
The LGBTQIA+ community and the entire city mourned her passing in 2014, when Gloria lost her battle to cancer.
The City of Philadelphia Mayor’s office release a statement that spoke to the impact of her unwavering activism:
“In 2012, the City garnered a Number Two national ranking in LGBT equality in the first edition of the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index. Philadelphia was the highest ranking among the nation’s 10 largest cities and the highest scoring city in a state without statewide legal protections for LGBT people.”
Gloria’s work and legacy will be felt for generations to come.
Gay rights are human rights.
Civil rights are human rights.
Women’s rights are human rights.
Disability rights are human rights.