“Just because someone is queer doesn’t mean there is any difference as to how we must remember them,” USC sophomore Jacqueline Gatica said. “They deserve to be remembered like everyone else.”
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead is a Latine tradition widely celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is a time when families come together to remember their deceased loved ones through traditions such as building ofrendas (altars), decorating gravesites and dressing up as catrinas to honor La Catrina, who symbolizes the cycle of life and death.
Ofrendas host photos of loved ones accompanied by their favorite foods and items. It has a tier system representing the different stages of life and the afterlife. Altars commonly have three tiers but can range from as little as two to as many as seven, representing heaven, Earth and the underworld. They are typically decorated with candles, papel picado, pan de muerto and sugar skulls, additional items vary by family.
Ofrendas are a visual custom that keep the memory of deceased family members alive. For the Latine queer community, being accepted and seen as a part of the family can be a struggle. This is in part due to cultural views on queerness and gender roles within the Latine community. According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2019, Hispanic parents fear their children being gay because of the negative beliefs they associate with the LGBTQ+ community. They also fear their children being discriminated against or judged by society, therefore hope their children do not come out as queer.
74% of Latine queer adults reported experiencing discrimination every day in 2020 according to a study by the UCLA Williams Institute. Homophobia is sometimes ingrained in aspects of the Spanish language, for example, the slang term for gay in Spanish is ‘marica,’ which directly translates to ‘sissy,’ a derogatory term used to describe a feminine-presenting person.
Despite these negative stereotypes, many believe that when it comes to cultural celebrations like Día de los Muertos which embrace loved ones in their entirety, sexual orientation does not make a difference.
“[Queer individuals should be celebrated] just like any other person,” continued Gatica. “Put out their photos, cook their favorite foods, their favorite music, Day of the Dead flowers and some candles.”
“Although their queer identity is a part of who they are, that is not the purpose of what our tradition celebrates,” said Xochitl Arroyo, a Junior at Olivet Nazarene University. “Día de los Muertos is meant to honor and celebrate the memories, the personalities and the love we hold dear with our individuals.”
Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA), an organization at the University of Illinois at Chicago, also made sure to highlight Latin queer icons as Día de los Muertos approaches. Their ofrenda included pictures of Jesús Ociel Baena, Silvia Rivera, Samantha Fonseca and Nancy Cardenas. They presented the altar at the National Museum of Mexican Art’s Day of the Dead Xicago event in Pilsen, a neighborhood known for its dense Latine population.
“As a committee, we found it important to honor Latine queer icons in order to continue uplifting their identities and contributions to the queer community,” said Ari Mendoza, the Sin Binarios committee Co-Lead of MeSA.
A number of student organizations at USC have put up their own ofrendas, providing spaces for the community to participate in honoring their loved ones.
La Casa, USC’s Latinx cultural center, hosted their own Día de Los Muertos event on November 1st. They encouraged students to help build La Casa’s altar by bringing photos of their loved ones. The center’s celebration included face painting, crafts, pan de muerto and more.
Dímelo, the Latine news desk at USC Annenberg, collaborated with UTSA (Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly) to create their own ofrenda located at the entrance of the Wallis Annenberg Media Center. This year’s theme is titled “Almas en Vuelo” which translates to “Souls in Flight,” aimed to raise awareness on immigration issues within the U.S., honoring the lives of immigrants and undocumented immigrants who lost their lives in search for a better future. The monarch butterflies displayed on the ofrenda play as a form of symbolism to represent the immigrant community in conjunction with Dia de los Muertos.
“The Latine community around the world are making progress when it comes to accepting queer people and the topic of queerness in general,” said Dímelo editor Monica Esquivel. “As we are starting to be more seen, I’m hoping we see more queer representations on our ofrendas.”
This story is part of Flare, an Annenberg Media initiative that focuses on women and queer stories. The goal of this beat is to immerse our audience in the culture, identity, and issues surrounding women and queer communities.