Gloria Casarez

Gloria Casarez (December 13, 1971 – October 19, 2014) was an American civil rights leader and LGBT activist in Philadelphia.[1] Casarez served as Philadelphia's first director of Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) affairs.[2] During her tenure as director, Philadelphia ranked as the number one city nationwide for LGBT equality.[1] Casarez served as the executive director of Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI) from 1999–2008.[3]

Gloria Casarez
Gloria Casarez delivering her "Dykes First" speech in Kahn Park for Philly Dyke March 2012
Born(1971-12-13)December 13, 1971
Philadelphia, PA, USA
DiedOctober 19, 2014(2014-10-19) (aged 42)
Phildadelphia, PA
Occupationactivist for social justice
Known forfirst city director of LGBT affairs

Early life and education

Casarez was born in Philadelphia and was raised Catholic by a single mother, Elisa Gonzales,[1][2] She grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia and Westmont, New Jersey; graduating from Haddon Township High School in 1989.[2] Casarez came out as a lesbian at the age of 17.[2]

At West Chester University, she was active in student government and political activism, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1993. Casarez was President of the Latino Student Union and a representative to the Commission on the Status of Women, a network of students from state universities examining women's issues on campus. She was a William G. Rohrer Scholar.[1]

Career and activism

From 1991–1996, Casarez was a founding member and community organizer for Empty the Shelters, a national student and youth led housing rights and economic justice organization. At the time, Empty the Shelters worked with existing Philadelphia movements: the Kensington Welfare Rights Union [4][5] and the Union of the Homeless.[6][7] She developed and organized student engagement projects including the Summer of Social Action[8] and Spring Break for a Change[9] on campuses across the country.[10]

From 1995–1998, Casarez was the Program Coordinator for the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the oldest and most active centers of its kind in the United States.[11] She developed innovative student-mentorship and programming for LGBT students of color, transgender and queer students on campus.[12]

At the age of 27, Casarez became the Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI) in Philadelphia.[12][13] Casarez led GALAEI from 1999–2008, tripling the organization's funding and developing nationally recognized programs serving men of color and transgender communities, including Philadelphia's first mobile HIV testing centers and the Trans-health information project – the first transgender health program in the city of Philadelphia.[3][14]

Casarez was an early advocate of harm reduction,[15] Casarez co-chaired the board of directors for Prevention Point Philadelphia, a needle exchange program, from 1999–2003.[10][16] She served as a longtime board member and leader of the Bread and Roses Community Fund,[17] a public foundation that supports grassroots organizations working for racial and economic justice.[18] She was one of the founders of the Philadelphia DKYE March, Drag King,[19] and the House of (Manolo) Blahnik Board of Directors.

In 2008, she was appointed to a public sector position as Director of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia,[20] leading the efforts of the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs and the Mayor's Advisory Board on LGBT Affairs.[21][22] The Director of LGBT Affairs develops priorities for the city of Philadelphia on issues including public safety, education, economic development, health and city services and civil rights.[23][24] In 2012, Philadelphia ranked number two nationwide for LGBT equality in the First Edition of the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index.[21] Philadelphia was the highest scoring city in the nation (of the ten largest cities) and the highest scoring city without statewide legal protections for LGBT people.[25] During Casarez's tenure, Philadelphia adopted the broadest LGBT rights protections in the nation, when Mayor Nutter signed Bill No. 130224 into law.[26][27]

Honors and awards

Out Magazine named Casarez one of the "100 Most Influential Leaders of the New Millennium" in 1999.[28] She received the Philadelphia Out Proud Award and was the 2001 Philadelphia LGBT Pride Grand Marshal.[1]

Casarez was honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) with the Annual Community Service Award In recognition of her social and political justice activism.[1]

Casarez's work supporting LGBT ballroom communities was recognized with her receiving the Humanitarian Award at the House of Prestige's 20th Anniversary Renaissance Ball[29] and the Community Service Award at the House of Blahnik Ball.[30] She received the Kiyoshi Kuromiya Award for Justice from Philadelphia FIGHT,[31] and the Cheryl Ingram Advocate for Justice Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association.[32] Casarez received the Hero Award from the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund; past honorees include gay rights pioneer Barbara Gittings, philanthropist Mel Heifetz, and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.[33] She was honored with the David Acosta Revolutionary Leader Award in 2013 by the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative.[34][35]

Philadelphia Gay Pride Library Logo

Local and national news outlets recognized Casarez's contributions. Go Magazine named her "100 Women We Love"[19] and a "Women at the Helm."[10] Philadelphia Magazine included her in a "Who's Who of Philly's Gay Community."[36] Philly Gay Calendar selected Casarez the 2009 "Person of the Year"[30] and she received the Philadelphia Leadership Award from Women's eNews.[37]

Metropolitan Community Church presented Casarez with the Patron of Humanity Award at their 40th Anniversary Convocation Service held in Philadelphia. Dignity USA honored Casarez with a Community Service Award in 2010.

Casarez threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia before a Phillies game against the Astros on August 23, 2010.[38]

Later life

Casarez was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2009. the Philadelphia Gay News published excerpts of Casarez's blog, chronicling her early experiences as a person living and working with cancer. Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation honored her with their 2012 Survivor Award.[39]

Casarez married her longtime partner, Tricia Dressel, on August 12, 2011 in a private civil ceremony at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, three weeks after New York State passed the Marriage Equality Act. [40] City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter performed his first ever same-sex commitment ceremony for the couple at their ten-year anniversary party held on September 3, 2011 at the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia.[41]

In April 2013, Casarez engaged in Latino community organizing efforts to save La Milagrosa,[42] Philadelphia's first Spanish-speaking church. Casarez's great-grandparents helped establish the church in the early 1900s.[43]

After living with cancer for five years, Casarez died on October 19, 2014.[44]

Post mortem honors

Project HOME's Gloria Casarez Residence, named in her honor, was opened on May 14, 2019.[45][46] The residence provides LGBTQ-friendly affordable homes for homeless young adults and some too old for foster care. It is the first permanent supportive housing of its kind in Pennsylvania.[46]

On October 11, 2015, Philadelphia's Outfest celebration unveiled a Gloria Casarez mural by artist Michelle Angela Ortiz on the wall of the 12th Street Gym.[47][48] During negotiations to preserve the mural before demolition of its building, the mural was painted over on December 23, 2020.[49]

See also

Philadelphia Gay News

LGBT social movements

Michael Nutter

References
  1. "Gloria Casarez papers, 1987-2015". dla.library.upenn.edu. William Way LGBT Community Center Philadelphia PA: John J. Wilcox Jr. LGBT Archives. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  2. Nash, Suzi (8 April 2010). "Gloria Casarez". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 17 October 2014.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. Staff, PGN. "GALAEI celebrates 25 years of revolutionary ideas". PGN | The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  4. Zucchino, David. (1997). Myth of the welfare queen : a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist's portrait of women on the line. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0684819147. OCLC 36446930.
  5. Bricker-Jenkins, Mary (2007). Bricker-Jenkins, Mary; Young, Carrie; Honkala, Cheri (2007). "Using economic human rights in the movement to end poverty: the Kensington Welfare Rights union and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights campaign". Reichert, Elisabeth. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 122–137. ISBN 9780231510349. OCLC 826477797.
  6. "The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Panelists discuss plight of city's homeless". Dpnthesn.net. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  7. Jha, Sandhya R. (2017-11-07). Transforming communities : how people like you are healing their neighborhoods. Saint Louis, Missouri. ISBN 978-0827237155. OCLC 988276950.
  8. Calendar, The Events. "Summer of Social Action Program". Poor peoples economic human rights campaign. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  9. "Students dedicate spring break to service, social justice through Alternative Break trips". The Scarlet and Black. 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  10. "GO Magazine - Women At The Helm". Gomag.com. 2011-11-09. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  11. "Queer-Sighted - Arts and Culture - Philadelphia Weekly". Philadelphiaweekly.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  12. "Queer-Sighted - Arts and Culture - Philadelphia Weekly". Philadelphiaweekly.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  13. "Philadelphia Gay News 36, no. 26 (June 29-July 5, 2012): 1 ("AIDS in America") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  14. "Queer-Sighted - Arts and Culture - Philadelphia Weekly". Philadelpiaweekly.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  15. Nash, Suzi (8 April 2010). "PGN - Philadelphia Gay News". Philadelphia Gay News. Epgn.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  16. "Home | Prevention Point". ppponline.org. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  17. "Bread & Roses Community Fund mourns loss of board member Gloria Casarez | Bread & Roses Community Fund". Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  18. "GO Magazine - Women At The Helm". Goamg.com. 2011-11-09. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  19. "GO Magazine - 100 Women We Love: Class of 2009 (in no particular order, cause we love em' all!)". Gomag.com. 2009-06-12. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  20. "Nutter appoints city gay liaison Gloria A. Casarez will be the city's first in that post to work out of the mayor's office". Philly.com. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  21. "Philly's Leaders Discuss the State of LGBT Affairs - News and Opinion - Philadelphia Weekly". Philadelphiaweekly.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  22. "Philadelphia Gay News 32, no. 18 (May 2-8, 2008): 1 ("GALAIE director named new LGBT liaison") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  23. "Office of LGBT Affairs Serving the LGBTQ residents of Philadelphia through advocacy and inclusion". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  24. "Philadelphia Gay News 34, no. 26 (June 25-July 1, 2010): 5 ("Input sought from LGBT seniors") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  25. "HRC Releases List of Most Gay Friendly Cities". Advocate.com. 2012-11-29. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  26. "Le magazine digital sans tabou pour les lesbiennes, gays, trans et hétéros" (in French). Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  27. "City of Philadelphia - File #: 130224". phila.legistar.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  28. Out. New York: Here. January 2000. p. 55. ISSN 1062-7928. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  29. "Philadelphia Gay News 35, no. 35 (September 2-8, 2011): 1 ("Gay journos see jump in attendance for Philly event") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  30. "PhillyGayCalendar: Person of the Year 2010: Gloria Casarez". PhillyGayCalendar.com. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  31. "PGN - Philadelphia Gay News". Epgn.com. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  32. "ISSUU - PGN June 3 - 9, 2011 edition by The Philadelphia Gay News". Issuu. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  33. Colletta, Jen. "DVLF to honor community 'heroes'". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  34. writers, John F. Morrison and Alex Wigglesworth, Staff. "Philadelphia's first director of city's Office of LGBT Affairs, Gloria Casarez, dead at 42". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  35. "Philadelphia Gay News 37, no. 18 (May 3-9, 2013): 5 ("City leader honored for community work") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  36. "The New Who's Who of Philly's Gay Community". Phillymag.com. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  37. "Event – Philadelphia Leadership Awards 2010 Wendy Beetlestone Gloria Casarez Alice (Tish) Emerson JoAnne Fischer Patricia Giorgio-Fox – Women's eNews". Womensenews.org. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
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  39. "Survivors Celebration". Komen Philadelphia. 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  40. Colletta, Jen. "Wedding: Gloria Casarez and Tricia Dressel". PGN | The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  41. "Philadelphia Gay News 35, no. 35 (September 2-8, 2011): 1 ("Gay journos see jump in attendance for Philly event") | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". wilcoxarchives.org. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  42. Melamed, Samantha (25 April 2013). "La Milagrosa Churchgoers Protest Its Planned Sale and Closure". City Paper. Archived from the original on 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  43. Leach, Soloman (22 April 2013). "Group rallies to protest closure of Spanish chapel". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  44. "Philadelphia's First LGBT Liaison, Gloria Casarez, Dead at 42". www.advocate.com. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  45. "And pride marches on". www.epgn.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  46. emmanuelsofolawe (2019-04-24). "Gloria Casarez Residence Grand Opening". Project HOME. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  47. "Philly Pride Presents - Philly Gay Pride Events". Philly Pride Presents. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  48. "Details of Gloria Casarez Mural Revealed | G Philly". Philadelphia Magazine. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  49. Crimmins, Peter (December 23, 2020). "Iconic mural of Latina LGBTQ activist painted over". WHYY.
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