Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Rally calls for Puerto Rico gov's resignation after anti-LGBTQ chat surfaces
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2019-07-17

This article shared 3248 times since Wed Jul 17, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


In the wake of Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello's political allies' recent arrests on corruption and fraud charges, the Chicago Boricua Resistance and its allies rallied in front of Federal Plaza on July 16.

Among the demands they are calling for are the resignation of Rossello and his entire Cabinet, the abolition of the Fiscal Control Board and debt cancellation, and the creation of an internationally recognized and supervised decolonization process.

These demands are also because of what has been named the #TelegramGate Scandal. An 899-page telegram chat was leaked to the press in recent days that contained anti-LGBTQ, racist, misogynistic and body-shaming comments by Rossello, his Cabinet and private citizens loyal to his administration. The chat also as had comments that mocked those who died due to Hurricane Maria and its aftermath.

Over the past few days, protests have broken out in San Juan as a result of #TelegramGate which Rossello's government has attempted to squash. Since #TelegramGate was made public, two chat members have resigned from their public posts.

Speakers at the July 16 event included Chicago Boricua Resistance leaders Miguel Alvelo Rivera and Jazmine Salas, 33rd Ward Ald. and Chicago Boricua Resistance Co-Founder Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, Chicago Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines leader Michael Boyt and Mijente member Corina Pedraza.

Salas told Windy City Times ahead of the protest that the #TelegramGate group "made jokes about the LGBTQ acronym, said that famous queer astrologer Walter Mercado had a one-night stand with former University of Puerto Rico President Tony Garcia Padilla at the governor's mansion, 'nothing says patriarchal oppression like Ricky Martin' and made fun of a transgender teen at an event by saying that because the governor had not shaved his beard, now even the women at the governor's mansion have beards. They also said the same teen was an extra from 'the greatest showman'."

Rivera and Salas kicked off the protest with chants and songs in both English and Spanish with some being started by a few of the 150 people in attendance. Chants included calls for the resignations of Rosello—"Ricky renuncia"—and President Donald Trump as well as slogans like "From Palestine to Puerto Rico, we fight for the people," "Ricky, escuchas, estamos en la lucha" ( "Ricky, listen, we are in the struggle" ) and "Lucha si, entrega no!" ( "Struggle yes, Surrender no!" )

"This is one of the many demonstrations happening throughout the diaspora and one of hundreds inside the archipelago of Puerto Rico," said Rivera. "We are living through an historic moment in our people's history. In our lifetime's we have never experienced a moment like this. We know what is happening right now because of Ricky Rossello is nothing but a symptom of a greater disease. That disease is called colonialism and imperialism. As long as this exists, we will see more people like Ricky Rossello. He and everybody in his government need to resign. We need a government that is for the people and by the people."

Salas spoke about the colonialism that has been happening in Puerto Rico for 120 years that has displaced boricuas. She explained that over 4,000 people died due to Hurricane Maria and it made her ill to read the comments in the chat that mocked the victims.

"Reading over the chat and seeing the corruption and bigotry in front of my eyes reminded me of the reasons why my family was forced to leave Puerto Rico and move to New York and later Florida," said Salas. "This is a crisis and will keep happening until we get rid of colonialism in Puerto Rico and make the island a free and independent nation."

Rodriguez-Sanchez told the crowd she is "so angry" because of the thousands of people who died due to the negligence following Hurricane Maria. She spoke about the years of corruption that has taken place and how it has "ruined our island." Rodriguez-Sanchez said she has never seen so many Puerto Rican's fighting back as she has in this moment. She explained that being visible and protesting is the only way to effect positive change in Puerto Rico.

Boyt said his organization stands in solidarity with the Chicago Boricua Resistance and the resistance happening in Puerto Rico.

"I am enraged because we see the sexist, homophobic, racist mierda that was leaked in the telegrams every day," said Pedraza. "It is rampant and more visible than ever before [across the country]."

Pedraza said this includes the recent Justice Department decision to not charge a New York police officer in the death of Eric Garner, the "concentration camps" at the border and other hateful comments and decisions coming from the Trump Administration.

Rodriguez-Sanchez also told Windy City Times that the hate expressed by Rossello and his circle is the same kind of hate Trump and many members of his administration have perpetuated against multiple minority groups including LGBTQ people and immigrants since he took office.

"The federal government that is overseeing the [Puerto Rican] colony is the same one that is caging little kids," said Rodriguez-Sanchez. "There is a relationship in terms of the neglect and lack of absolute care about the poor, vulnerable and most exposed people in our society. We are ready to fight against that wherever it happens … and protect our undocumented and transgender brothers and sisters against these hateful policies."

Following the rally, the protestors marched to the Chicago Board of Trade and rallied there before returning to Federal Plaza.


This article shared 3248 times since Wed Jul 17, 2019
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course
2024-03-18
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
2024-03-15
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

Chicago History Museum announces "Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s - 70s exhibition
2024-03-14
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 14, 2024) — The Chicago History Museum is thrilled to announce its upcoming exhibition, "Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s—70s." Set to open on Saturday, May 18, 2024, this exhibition is ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood
2024-03-13
LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77
2024-03-12
On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner
2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


Gay News

Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit
2024-03-11
On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...


Gay News

Pro-choice activists protest crisis pregnancy center on International Women's Day
2024-03-11
The rainy weather on March 8 didn't deter a passionate group of pro-choice protesters from gathering in Old Town on International Women's Day. Following the opening of Women's Care Center—a crisis pregnancy center—directly next to Pl ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Precious Brady-Davis says climate change is top issue as she runs to finish appointed MWRD term
2024-03-08
Precious Brady-Davis, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Brady-Davis was appointed to the role last summer ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 MWRD's Marcelino Garcia discusses flooding, land use and LGBTQ+ inclusion
2024-03-08
Marcelina Garcia, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates in the running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Garcia, who chair's the MWRD's Finance ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle
2024-03-08
Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
2024-03-06
From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...


Gay News

Illinois's first openly gay elected official voices support for Cunningham
2024-03-05
Judge Thomas Chiola, who served in the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994-2009, has officially endorsed Justice Joy Cunningham for reelection to the Illinois Supreme Court. Chiola is the first gay man to be ...


Gay News

Sinema retiring from the U.S. Senate
2024-03-05
Kyrsten Sinema—the bisexual U.S. senator from Arizona who recently switched from being a Democrat to an independent—announced that she will not run for re-election this year, ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.