Bamby Salcedo: ‘TransVisible’ Latina #WomensHistoryMonth

Mar 10, 2016
10:15 AM

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Bamby Salcedo is the founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLatin@ Coalition. Founded in 2009, the organization advocates for the rights of transgender Latinas in the U.S. and works particularly close with those who are monolingual Spanish speakers. In her own words, Bamby said the group “is working very hard to make sure that our issues are heard and to let the world know that we do exist.”

The organization published the report TransVisible: Transgender Latina Immigrants in U.S. Society. One of the report’s many recommendations is that transgender women, especially transgender Latinas, be included in more HIV prevention and treatment research.

Bamby Salcedo is a transgender woman who was locked up in a men’s immigration detention facility.

Salcedo’s life was depicted in the documentary Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story, directed by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Dante Alencastre. As an advocate, Bamby has been involved with several organizations over the years. After being diagnosed as HIV positive more than 20 years ago, Bamby joined the Los Angeles-based Latino AIDS advocacy group Bienstar Human Services, where she worked as a staff member for six years. She has since been serving as a board member for the national Latino/a human rights organization Unid@s LGBT and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition.

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In an interview with GLAAD she stated:

We need to raise awareness with our politicians and policy makers. There is still a lot of denial from society about the existence of our community. We need to raise awareness and bring consciousness about…who we are, what are the things that need to be addressed. But we cannot do it alone; we need everyone to be on the same page, politicians, churches, schools, businesses, just our society as a whole needs to learn and understand that we are here to stay.

We salute you, Bamby Salcedo, on #WomensHistoryMonth.

To learn about Bamby Salcedo, visit http://bambysalcedo.com/

Follow Bamby Salcedo @translatinbamby.

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Marlena Fitzpatrick is the CEO for Latino Rebels. You can follow here @MarlenaFitz.