Jennicet Gutiérrez’s passion emerged from personal events that made her feel ashamed of her gender identity and wanted others to embrace themselves. Like other women activists, education and community organization are used as tools of inclusion. Through her Familia: Transgender Queer Liberation Movement (TQLM) liberated all trans members through education, community, and advocacy on both the local and national level. To obtain social inclusion, in 2015, Gutierrez proudly interrupted President Obama to vocalize the verbal and physical abuse that the undocumented transgender community face in detention centers.
Image Courtesy of: "Jennicet Guiterrez speaks about activism and life experience", El Chicano Weekly, San Bernardino, July 16, 2015; Image courtesy of Anthony Victoria.
“So right now with the high violence, the discriminations that we are facing as a transgender community, especially, the undocumented community, I do believe that through civil disobedience is the way to see change. Other people can do the diplomatic way, but I am a strong believer that to truly impact and change things for the community, we need to agitate and we need to disrupt business as usual.” - Jennicet Gutiérrez
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As a believer of activism through education and community organization Jennicet shifted her ideals to reflect of visibility towards those who are undocumented transgender. In using, the intersectionality of transgender and undocumented a union among different communities emerged in the fight for social inclusion.
Image Courtesy of: 2018.06.09 Capital Pride Parade, Washington, DC USA 03179. Image courtesy of Ted Eytan. ©Attribution & ShareAlike
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A hunger strike indicated the need for social inclusion of the undocumented transgender community. In February 2017, activists fought for the civil rights of the undocumented and trans individuals. The community organizers gathered to celebrate the 90-day termination notice of the Santa Ana detention center. In May 2016, Jennicet Gutiérrez’s activism manifested itself in a multiple-day hunger strike to reflect the inhumane conditions undocumented transgender are subjected to. As a result of the hunger strike, the monetary contract between the city of Santa Ana and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ended. In Santa Ana, California, through community organization, the undocumented transgender became visible in the continuous demand for social inclusion.
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Unafraid, relentless, and independent of age characterize women activists fighting for social inclusion of the transgender community. In recent years, a prominent clash among the LGBTQ+ community concerning the transgender portion of the social group, however, has not minimized the actions of transgender activists. Within the transgender community figures such as Bamby Salcedo and Jennicet Gutiérrez utilized their experiences and platform in the continuous battle to obtain social recognition to all transgender. All activism must passionately seek justice, unapologetically for providing visibility to traditionally marginalized groups.
Image Caption: "I am with Jennicet Gutierrez, the undocumented woman, transgender and person of color silenced by President Obama and no to silencing the voices of trans and of color."
Image courtesy of: "Supporting Jennicet Gutiérrez. Mexican Trans Who was Sexual Abuse in USA Borders." Ricardo Fernandez. © All rights reserved.
“Start looking at your own personal experiences, and whenever you see something that you faced, an injustice or discrimination, to listen and analyze that issue, and if it really speaks to you and you’re passionate and you care about it, it should be something that you can consider and perhaps join organizations and work to challenge that experience that you had that no one else should have.” - Jennicet Gutiérrez
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The catalyst moment that makes an individual an activist varies and is unique. Activism is meant to be something that the individual values and beliefs in fighting for. It does not matter how one participates as long as the person is interested in the better tomorrow.
Image Courtesy of: WERK for Consent – A Queer and Trans Dance Protest 2798. Courstey of Ted Eytan. ©Atrribution & ShareAlike
Credits:
Chun, Jennifer Jihye, George Lipsitz, and Young Shin. "Intersectionality as a Social Movement Strategy: Asian Immigrant Women Advocates." Signs 38, no. 4 (Summer 2013): 917-40. doi:10.1086/669575. Eytan, Ted. 2018.06.09 Capital Pride Parade, Washington, DC USA 03179. June 9, 2018. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/42664657582/in/photolist-2818whw-285E9fi-26Ha1W6-281kY1S-285EfrX-285EbbT-26JC28t-26Ha3hc-26GXoVR-285rfse-26YWwzU-25jv4tm-26Z9eH3-KWsxjm-285Ea3a-26Zd1DE-2816WQo-26YZ9hG-2817bof-KWt4Wd-KWs8hy-26YZ6fu-KWsvhW-26YZbUL-2817xRq-285qUsV-25juEkh-KWsDFE-285rhXp-2818v7A-281kQFG-JqCxmn-25jv3ps-25juzpW-KWsC4w-28175Mq-KWsZPW-KWt3EW-2817zGE-281kRoU-KWrZyh-KWtkfj-JqvtLk-2817av3-25juyM3-KWtiTw-25jBhVu-285rem6-285qXEg-KWrHm7. Eytan, Ted. WERK for Consent – A Queer and Trans Dance Protest 2798. January 27, 2018. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/39951541451/in/photolist-23So6oc-22MBNJJ-FJw5NS-FJvM1C-Edg6Bc-23PxdUA-JVrLoz-22MBMTf-23Px57f-23PxAk1-23Pxs77-23PxSHw-22MBNdJ-23Snnci-EdfabP-EdghDn-23SnUTV-23PxJ73-FJuezd-22v2tiK-23PxTrA-23SmGNV-23SnLfH-23So7NM-EdfzHp-JVrpmp-23PxtxJ-23PxoCJ-22MCXcU-23So3Bk-FJvNCf-22v1CYP-EdfRqM-JVrs1c-FJvKNh-EdfWtT-23So53g-23Px7jS-23PxzGh-22v27cM-23SnSVr-23PxNWd-JVrcHp-Edg9R8-23SniFa-JVre4F-JVrvKM-23SnoFF-23SnZLa-22MBVDA. Fernandez, Ricardo. Supporting Jennicet Guitierrez Mexican Trans Who Was Sexual Abuse in USA Borders. July 4, 2015. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/7402324@N05/19279077310/in/photolist-vnCj1E. Gutierrez, Jennicet. Transcript of an oral history conducted on November 9, 2015, by Carie Rael, in Center for Oral and Public History California State University, Fullerton, 2013 – 2020, Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Oral History Project, Pollak Library, California State University, Fullerton, 2015, pp. 1 – 20. Herrera, Jack. “Why Are Trans Women Dying in ICE Detention.” Pacific Standard. June 4, 2019. Kwong, Jessica. "Immigrants Rights Activists Celebrate ICE Notice to Terminate Santa Ana Jail Contract." TCA Regional News, Feb 24, 2017. McCammon, Holly J., McCammon, H.J., Banaszak, Lee Ann, and Banaszak, L.A. 100 Years of the Nineteenth Amendment: An Appraisal of Women's Political Activism. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018. Salcedo, Bamby. Transcript of an oral history conducted on July 27, 2016, by Skye Gomez, in Center for Oral and Public History California State University, Fullerton, 2013 – 2020, Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Oral History Project, Pollak Library, California State University, Fullerton, 2016, pp. 1 – 15. Terriquez, Veronica. "Intersectional Mobilization, Social Movement Spillover, and Queer Youth Leadership in the Immigrant Rights Movement." Social Problems 62, no. 3 (August 2015): 343-62. Victoria, Anthony. "Jennicet Gutierrez Speaks about Activism and Life Experience." El Chicano Weekly, Jul 16, 2015.