Latinx Activists and Organizations against Sexual Violence

Latinx Heritage Month, also known as Hispanic Heritage Month, runs from mid-September through mid-October each year. During this time, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the activism and contributions made by Latinx community members to end sexual and gender-based violence. From Sylvia Rivera’s powerful legacy to advocating for equitable gender policy in the White House, Latinx voices are powerful in shaping how we serve survivors and their loved ones. 

There are hundreds of Latinx activists, movements, and organizations that undertake this work, and this list is by no means exhaustive. Here, we have highlighted a few people, organizations, and a pivotal social movement to showcase the tremendous impact of advocating for and supporting survivors. We have also included a few of their social media handles to follow! 

Andrea Pino

Andrea Pino is a queer civil rights activist, author, and scholar who has advocated to end gender-based violence on college campuses. Joining several other activists, including Annie E. Clark, Sophie Karasek, Kamilah Willingham, Wagatwe Wanjuki, and Caroline Heldman, Pino has done extensive work around Title IX policies. She was featured in the pivotal documentary The Hunting Ground, which explores survivors’ experiences and challenges with reporting sexual assault on campuses. 

You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

Bamby Salcedo 

Bamby Salcedo is an immigrant activist, writer, and president of the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), a California-based organization with a mission to advocate for better quality of life for trans women. This past August, Salcedo was a featured speaker for the U.S. National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence and spoke to taking comprehensive action for ending violence against trans women of color. Salcedo also has advocated for LGBQT+ rights and reducing social inequities. 

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

Sylvia Rivera

Along with Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera led what would become the Stonewall Inn Riots and is credited for sparking the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. A survivor of child sexual abuse, Rivera also was a member of the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. She also opened STAR, a shelter for transgender youth experiencing homelessness. Rivera remains a pivotal example of how intersectionality must be applied to activism in order to reduce social inequities. She passed away in 2002. 

Sandra Henriquez of ValorUS

Sandra Henriquez has decades of experience working with survivors in California. She currently leads ValorUS (formerly known as the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault or CALCASA), which is a coalition of 32 rape crisis centers that has played a critical role in shaping national policy around response to gender-based and sexual violence. Prior to joining ValorUS, Henriquez co founded RALIANCE, the national partnership to end sexual violence and also served as executive director for Peace Over Violence, which is an organization dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence.

Follow Sandra Henriquez on Twitter. Also follow ValorUS on Twitter and Instagram. 

Alianza Latina Contra Agresión Sexual (ALAS)

The Alianza Latina Contra Agresión Sexual, or the National Latinx Alliance Against Sexual Violence (ALAS) was founded in 2004 and leads advocacy efforts for eliminating barriers for survivors in Latinx communities. According to its mission statement, the organization “promotes the leadership of Latinx victim advocates and develops models, resources and policies to empower communities and eliminate access barriers for survivors.” ALAS also utilizes an inclusive model in order to bridge historical and language differences throughout Latinx culture in order to better serve survivors. 

The #NiUnaMenos Movement

Though often referred to the #MeToo Movement of Latin America, Ni Una Menos (in English, roughly translated to “Not one [woman] fewer”) is a feminism movement that slightly predates #MeToo. Started in Argentina in 2016, the movement has worked to end gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence and femincide, as well grant people the right to bodily autonomy. From Mexico to Uruguay #NiUnaMenos has inspired thousands of people to demand social change. Argentina’s legalization of abortion in 2020 has been credited to #NiUnaMenos activism.