The LGBTQ Center OC’s dinner and drag show celebration fosters community and cultural pride at a time when it’s members need it the most.
A whirlwind of Christmas trees, ballet folklórico, margaritas and sequined drag queens lit up the Delhi Center in Santa Ana on Dec. 7 as the LGBTQ Center OC’s annual Queer Posada brought another year to a sparkling close.
Hosted by the Center’s immigration department as part of its efforts to serve the needs of LGBTQ immigrants, Queer Posada is an affirming holiday celebration for the Latinx LGBTQ community and their families, many of whom also face separations from loved ones due to immigration policies and incarceration.
The event was inspired by the Latinx tradition of Las Posadas, in which community members carol through the streets in costumes in a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter before the birth of Jesus. The night ends in festivities and is a heartwarming reminder of values such as resilience and community support.
According to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, there are 211,000 Latinx LGBTQ immigrants in California. Of the 68,800 who do not have Permanent Resident Cards, 85% are undocumented.
“The intersections of LGBTQ, immigrant and Latinx identities are particularly important to address in Orange County, a region with a significant immigrant and Latinx population,” said Luis Gomez, director of immigration resources at the Center. “LGBTQ immigrants often face compounded challenges, including navigating cultural stigma, systemic barriers and legal vulnerabilities. These intersecting identities are often overlooked or misunderstood, making it essential to create programs and events like the Queer Posada that address these unique experiences.”
For the first hour of the event, the Center curated a resource fair aimed at providing key services, such as Medi-Cal enrollment and legal assistance. Tabling organizations included the LGBTQ Center OC, Public Law Center, Serve the People Community Health Center, CalOptima Health, Justice Fund, Hire Ellas, OCTA, Mercy Health and the office of Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento.
To encourage attendees to explore each of the table’s resources, guests had to receive a sticker from each organization on their event “passport”, which they could then turn in to receive a meal ticket and raffle ticket. Between enjoying traditional foods and aguas frescas catered by MexItUp, making donations to the Center in exchange for taking home the Christmas decorations, and mingling with others at the circular, communal tables, attendees enjoyed an evening of performances, including ballet folklórico and drag.
Cindy Viveros, a Latinx DJ based in Orange County who performs as CindyCakes, played a set featuring music in Spanish and genres like cumbia and merengue, nostalgic songs “that would bring back memories and a connection to home.” She was hired by Eric Pineda, the curator of Solita, an LGBTQ club night in Santa Ana and Long Beach, who also selected the drag queens for the night – Vicky on the Rocks, Leandra Rose and Frida Diablo. The drag queens performed songs such as Selena’s “Como La Flor,” Celia Cruz’s “Quimbara,” and Belinda’s Spanish cover of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” in a spectacular blend of Latin American and LGBTQ culture.
Latin American cultures have often been portrayed as particularly anti-LGBTQ, with emphasis on aspects such as traditional, heterosexual family values, machismo and religion. While Viveros agrees that some aspects of Latinx culture can make it difficult for queer people to openly be themselves, she believes this generation has the power to change that.
“By embracing inclusivity and challenging outdated norms, we can rewrite the narrative and transform our culture to be more supportive of queer individuals,” she said. “Gatherings like Queer Posada … allow us to create new traditions rooted in acceptance and love while rejecting stereotypes that hold back the community.”
For Jackie Garcia, a queer Latina who co-founded and runs the marketing service Hire Ellas with her wife Ana Diaz, the coming out process was not easy.
“For me, growing up queer and Latine was not even an option,” she said. “Most of my formative years were spent feeling mostly closeted and uncomfortable. My family and extended family would always say hurtful or judgmental things about anyone they knew was LGBTQ+. As a result, I would feel shame, guilt and confusion for having such feelings.”
This is why she is so enthusiastic about supporting groups such as Grupo La Familia, a Spanish-speaking support group facilitated through the Center and a major collaborator in bringing Queer Posada to life. The group helps family members overcome their biases and misconceptions so they can effectively support their loved ones in their coming out process, as well as the LGBTQ community as a whole.
“When I told my mom about this group a few years ago, I recall her saying – ‘Wow, wish I knew about this group 15 years ago,’” Garcia said.
The Center recognized others for their continued support of the LGBTQ community in Orange County, presenting awards to Hector Bustos, a Santa Ana Unified board member and educator advocating for supporting LGBTQ children, and Yvette Gutierrez, a lawyer at Gutierrez Legal Group in Anaheim, who has shown great dedication in her work supporting LGBTQ immigrants.
In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to deport undocumented immigrants en masse and restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, it is clear that supporting the Latinx, immigrant, LGBTQ community will be more crucial than ever in the next few years.
“For many in our community, the fear and uncertainty brought on by times of heightened vulnerability can lead to feelings of isolation,” Gomez said. “Events like the Queer Posada counteract that by offering a space where individuals can feel embraced, supported and truly en familia. It reminds our community that they are not alone – that they are part of something bigger, a network of people who care for and celebrate them. Ultimately, the Queer Posada uplifts the Latinx queer community by fostering a space of love and cultural pride, proving that in the face of adversity, our greatest strength lies in coming together.”
PHOTO 1: Community members perform ballet folklorico at Queer Posada. PHOTO 2: DJ CindyCakes cheers on Vicky On The Rocks as she performs at Queer Posada. PHOTO 3, 4 & 5: Vicky On The Rocks performs at Queer Posada. PHOTOS 6 & 7: Leandra Rose performs at Queer Posada. PHOTOS 8 & 9: Attendees mingle during dinner at Queer Posada. Photos by Lola Olvera, Culture OC
