The LBGT Resource Center is honored to recognize Dr. Juan Javier Pescador, professor in the department of history, and Dr. Estella Torrez, assistant professor with the Residential College of Arts and Humanities, for their outstanding work addressing intersections of sexuality, gender, race and culture. The Intersections Project is an initiative of the LBGT Resource Center funded by a grant from the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. Drs. Pescador and Torrez are the first recipients of the Intersections Award from the LBGT Resource Center.
Dr. Pescador and Dr. Torrez developed and lead a campus and community collaboration to celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Under the thoughtful guidance of Pescador and Torrez, this year’s activities engaged diverse communities in collectively honoring victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. Through a series of powerful events, the experience of navigating multiple and concurrent marginalized identities in the US context was explored.
Story and Video – Day of Dead Fall 2011 Dr. Pescador and his wife Gabrielle have done extensive work on homophobic violence and are the directors and producers of the documentary, “Just Because I Am”. While following LBGT youth working to empower themselves through theatre, the documentary filmmakers unexpectedly capture a brutal hate crime.