our mission
Our mission is to foster community care for queer Latines through spaces where we can can show up fully — in our identities, our stories, our culture, and our complexity.
We build intentional, affirming spaces, both in person and online, for queer Latines and allies to build meaningful connections. Where friendships form. Where language is reclaimed. Where we don’t have to choose between being queer and being Latine.
This community began as a response to not having community and grew into a collective need: to be seen, to be understood, and to belong. We believe that healing and growth happen in community, and that joy, rest, and mutual care are just as important as resistance and action.
queer latines
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tender humans
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queer latines ☆ tender humans ☆
our story
Holis! Soy Alyssa (she/ella) and I’m the founder of Queer Latines. I’m the eldest daughter of a Colombian and Puerto Rican family from New York…y se nota.
For years, my queerness and my culture felt disconnected, like they couldn’t coexist. Searching for both, I went to a queer Spanish practice meetup in hopes of making more queer Latine friends.
Except, I was the only Latina there.
(That is, until an Ecuadorian showed up 3 hours late, running on tiempo latino. We became instant friends.)
In a city as queer as New York, I was shocked there wasn’t a space for queer Latines. So, in true eldest daughter fashion, I figured: if I can’t find the community I need, I might as well build it.
I started an Instagram, hosted 40+ meetups solo across the boroughs of NYC, and met hundreds of amiguis craving connection. At first, the groups were small. Sometimes, no one came at all.
After Pride 2024, everything changed. Our growth exploded, and queer Latines from across the country began asking: When are you coming to our city? That’s when I realized this wasn’t just my need. It was ours. That’s how Queer Latines was born.
We’re a growing community of queer Latines building meaningful connections, locally and virtually. This is a space where we can show up fully. A space for our identities, our stories, and our culture to blossom. A space where we support our neighbors, even if we don’t like them. Read that again.
We’ve been growing this community since January 2024. We deserve a space rooted in joy, culture, and solidarity. Because that sh*t is long overdue.
Trust, we’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’re just getting started.