“On the Side of Angels”: New Exhibit Celebrates Latina Lesbian Activism in Los Angeles
A groundbreaking exhibition illuminating the often-overlooked contributions of Latina lesbian leaders opened in late June at the Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College and will run through August 30. “On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism” offers a powerful and timely look at the intersection of LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant justice, labor movements, and housing advocacy through the stories of prominent figures from the 1980s through the late 2000s.
The free exhibit features a rich collection of materials, including posters, photographs, magazines, oral histories, and video footage, bringing to life the struggles and triumphs of these pioneering activists. Organizers emphasize the exhibit’s importance in showcasing a history that has often been marginalized or erased.
A Legacy of Cross-Movement Solidarity
The exhibition is a collaborative effort between East Los Angeles College and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center’s “Latina Futures 2050 Lab,” a $15 million state-funded initiative dedicated to advancing equity and leadership opportunities for Latinas. According to a statement from Veronica Terriquez, director of the research center and co-founder of Latina Futures, the exhibit is particularly significant because it “features women who championed immigrant rights, safer working conditions, and broader acceptance of LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities — efforts that have paved the way for cross-movement solidarity in Los Angeles and beyond.”
The exhibit doesn’t shy away from the complexities of these struggles. As one co-curator, Jocelyne Sánchez, explained, the activists featured often faced challenges that extended beyond simply “LGBTQ+ issues,” grappling instead with the intertwined forces of discrimination, race, and class. This nuanced perspective is central to the exhibit’s aim of presenting a “different” archival display, showcasing decades of research and history, some of which is being presented for the first time.
Laura Esquivel: A Central Figure in the Archive
Much of the exhibit centers on the work of Laura Esquivel, a policy and civil rights advocate who played a pivotal role in collecting and preserving the archive. Esquivel’s early activism with the Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU) in the 1980s – the first organization in the Los Angeles area to advocate for both LGBTQ+ and Latino communities – is prominently featured. She later co-founded Lesbiana Unidas, a task force dedicated to serving Latina lesbian communities, and in 1984 became the first female president of GLLU. Esquivel’s commitment to advocacy extended nationally with the co-founding of the D.C.-based National Latino/a Lesbian Gay Organization in 1987.
Preserving History in a Digital Age
The exhibit also highlights the evolution of LGBTQ+ and feminist culture, showcasing elements like a poster from a 2008 lesbian revolution march in Mexico. The exhibit’s title itself is a tribute to UCLA Chicano Studies librarian and archivist Yolanda Retter Vargas, whose dissertation, “On the Side of Angels,” laid the groundwork for preserving Latina history.
Recognizing the importance of accessibility, the exhibit incorporates interactive elements, including oral history interviews with Vargas and a QR code connecting visitors to local organizations focused on housing, LGBTQ+ rights, labor, and immigration. A fully recreated Lesbian History Research Project, originally a website active from 1996 to 2006, is also on display, demonstrating early efforts in digital archiving. The website is showcased on a restored iMac computer, offering a tangible connection to the past.
A Beacon of Hope and Resilience
Organizers hope the exhibition will serve as a source of hope, particularly at a time when Latinx, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities are facing increased challenges. Co-curator Vanessa Esperanza Quintero emphasized the importance of “present[ing] women as true as possible, in a climate where a lot of projects are being censored.”
For visitors like Carson resident Carolina Hernandez, the exhibit resonated deeply. Hernandez, who attended with her partner, shared that she felt “so seen” and underscored the importance of understanding the community’s activist roots and combating the “dehumanization” of marginalized groups. “This exhibition just shows that we’re all people with our own struggles, trying to overcome,” she said.
“On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism” is currently on display at the Vincent Price Art Museum, located at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Monterey Park. The exhibit is open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact (323) 265-8841 or visit vincentpriceartmuseum.org. Portions of the archives are also available by appointment at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center.
