Why I'm Grateful for Puerto Rico

At Lambda Legal, we are grateful for the community of LGBT people and allies in Puerto Rico! For years, Lambda Legal has been working on behalf of LGBT people and people living with HIV in Puerto Rico—from leading the fight on marriage equality to promoting judicial diversity and denouncing LGBT-biased crimes.

That is why every year we seek opportunities to engage with those we serve and our allies in the community. And that is why, earlier this month, I staffed Lambda Legal’s booth at the San Juan Beauty Show, a huge trade show of beauticians, barbers, small business owners and large beauty supply company representatives. This was our second year participating.

To be sure, some might wonder why we have a presence at a beauty industry event, but part of our work is to educate and engage people across all walks of life. Indeed, our attendance at the San Juan Beauty Show was prompted by a suggestion from a Lambda Legal volunteer in Puerto Rico who suggested we could find large numbers of LGBT people and allies in Puerto Rico at the event. It was a brilliant idea! Many LGBT people make their living through the beauty industry and so for them, it is their workplace. And Puerto Rico recently enacted a law against discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Beauty parlors and barber shops are also thriving and close-knit community spaces where people get to know each other—customers and staff alike. If these shops are infused with LGBT affirming education, we are sure to impact the lives of many LGBT people and their loved ones.

Last year, besides handing out educational materials about LGBT people and information about their rights, we circulated a petition in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples in Puerto Rico. At the time, we were litigating our case for marriage on the island. We easily got hundreds of people to sign.

This year, I was curious to learn why attendees to the San Juan Beauty Show supported LGBT rights. I had previously come across a Pew Research Center survey that did the same for marriage, so I took some of those questions, added some, translated them all into Spanish and tested whether they resonated with LGBT people and allies.

Our one-question survey really engaged beauty show goers. Many found it hard to pick the one reason they support LGBT rights. Among the possible answers were: “For Equality,” “For an LGBT Loved One,” “All Love Is Sacred,” “Only God Can Judge,” “For Love,” and three other reasons. While the results are unscientific, I was surprised that the most popular response was “Only God Can Judge,” followed closely by “For Equality.” In fifth place, after “For Love” and “All Love Is Sacred,” was “For an LGBT Loved One.”

In total, we had 383 people answer this question. And while there is much still to learn, I am grateful for the warmth and enthusiasm I found from those that stopped by our booth.

This being a beauty show, we also wanted to support a lot of “selfie love.” These pictures are wonderful and show the great range of support that exists. One mother-and-daughter team thanked me for being present, stating that much education is still needed. We certainly will continue our work in Puerto Rico in all kinds of venues, including the San Juan Beauty Show.

I am grateful for all the reasons Puerto Ricans support their LGBT friends, family and neighbors. I hope LGBT Puerto Ricans and their allies and loved ones continue to have much to be grateful for, too.