Jennicet Gutiérrez

Jennicet Gutiérrez is a transgender immigrant activist from Tuxpan, Jalisco, Mexico. She immigrated to the States when she was 15 with her family for better economic opportunities and in search of safety. She started high school here, learning English as well as the rights that immigrants don't have. Jennicet is based in southern California and she is one of the founding members of La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, an organization committed to the liberation of trans, queer, and gender non-conforming Latinxs, to build power and reimagine our communities free from oppression. They also seek to abolish the systems that were built to marginalize, criminalize, imprison, and kill our people. Jennicet believes in the importance of uplifting and centering the voices of trans women of color in all racial justice work. In June 2015 Jennicet received national attention after interrupting President Obama during a speech at a White House dinner celebrating LGBTQ accomplishments from the previous year. She called him out for deporting more than 2 million undocumented immigrants during his presidency, more than any president has ever deported since I.C.E was implemented by the Bush administration in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks. I.C.E. is a system created from racism that holds adults and children without their will at detention centers, where they wait for deportation for months or even years and are treated as the last priority to the government. Jennicet embodies the spirit and power of the trans women who fought for the liberation of the LGBTQ community, such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson during the Stonewall Riots. Janicet continues the fight for the liberation of the LGBTQ communities. She speaks at rallies nationwide and protests the dishonest, corrupt, partisan government of the USA by fighting for justice for the trans people killed at the hands of I.C.E. Jennicet deserves to be honored everyday as all trans people should! So this is dedicated to you, Jennicet Gutiérrez, for being one of my heroes. __________________________ Kazayra Miranda Gonzalez is a queer, self-taught artist who works primarily in oil and digital painting and whose work focuses primarily on portraits. Kazayra immigrated from Lebaron, Chihuahua, Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia with their parents at the age of four. Before moving to Oakland at the beginning of 2019, Kazayra spent the beginning of their life in Georgia: it’s where they grew up, fell in love, and where they eventually came out. It’s also where they spent almost twenty years as an undocumented immigrant. Although Kazayra began their journey as an artist to escape reality, the past few years have pushed them to engage more with their experiences as an undocumented queer immigrant. Kazayra has been a DACA recipient since 2012, when the program was implemented by former President Obama. They did not seek further college education because they didn’t know if that was a realistic option at the end of their high school career. They were also afraid of pursuing higher education due to their undocumented status. That, however, never stopped Kazayra from learning the skills they have today. Kazayra’s love for art began when they were a small child, diving into Frida Kahlo books their mother had in her bedroom. The boldness and the pain emanating from Frida Kahlo's paintings is something they’ve always sought to capture in their work as well, especially recently as they began exploring the world of surrealism. Currently, Kazayra’s focus is on growing as an artist, both in technical skills and also creating from the trauma that comes from living as an undocumented queer immigrant, and the experiences that have made them who they are today. To see more of Kazayra’s work please visit www.kazayra.com