Launching Pride Week: Books and Podcasts

Hello Olas Family!

For Pride Month, the Olas Team decided to begin Olas Pride Week, a week dedicated to amplifying Latinx LGBTQ+ voices. We compiled a list of books and podcasts that highlight the Latinx LGBTQ+ experience.

This week, we ask you to engage with a resource that highlights the Queer Latinx experience. Together, we can self-educate regarding the history, rights, and obstacles confronting the Latinx LGBTQ+ community and incite change.

Here are some books and podcasts by Queer Latinx creators that amplify the LGBTQ+ experience.

Books

Mundo Cruel by Luis Negron

A novel composed of 9 stories that highlight the experiences of LGBTQ+ Puerto Ricans. (Spanish)

Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa

A novel that discusses the cultural, social, and historical dynamics of the Chicano and Latinx experience at the border between Mexico and Texas. (English and Spanish)

Gulf Dreams by Emma Perez

Story of a young girl’s childhood and of the first girl she ever loved. (English)

The Rain God by Arturo Islas

Story of Mexican family adapting to be “American”. (English)

Madwomen by Gabriela Mistral

A collection of poetry depicting “madwomen” who are anything but mad. “Locas mujeres” poems in Spanish. Mistral was the first Latin American author to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and her career spanned education, politics and diplomacy. The debate over her sexuality continues to rage on among academics and the Chilean political elite. However, she has been reclaimed by several Lesbian and Gay organizations in her native country, who see the unmarried childfree woman as a queer icon. This poetry collection focuses on the way different women are witness to situations that force them to break free from what is traditionally prescribed of their roles.

Podcasts

Radio Menea

A podcast co-hosted by a LGBTQ+ Cuban and a LGBTQ+ Venezuelan that showcases “the fabulous mezcla” of Latinx music.

Andaluzing it

Co-hosted by two LGBTQ+ friends who discuss politics, horoscopes, and pop culture. The title refers to Gloria Anzaldua’s Borderlands and the concept of code-switching between Chicanos and other POC.

jotxs y recuerdos

A podcast outlining the history of LGBTQ+ people in the Rio Grande Valley. “Jotxs” is the gender-neutral spelling of a Spanish slur used against LGBTQ+ people.

This Pride Month, we strive to self-educate, engage in meaningful conversation, and amplify LGBTQ+ voices. Check out our Instagram and Facebook posts for more information. Celebrate Pride alongside the Olas family with Olas Pride Week.