Ileana Jiménez

How often do Latina lesbian feminists in the U.S. get to convene with their sisters in Latin America?

Almost never. As a result, I jumped at the chance to participate in a recent North-South Activist Exchange between over 50 women from across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. As a five-year board member of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, I was thrilled to be a part of an event that featured Astraea as a guest fund working in partnership with six women’s funds from throughout Latin America.

The goal of the event was to bring together Latin American and Latina lesbian activists to discuss ways to strengthen the feminist lesbian/queer movements in the global north and south. Held in Guatemala City, the convening was sponsored by ConMujeres, or the Consortium of Latin American Women’s Funds. This event was the Consortium’s first ever project to support lesbian and trans organizations and is part of a larger two-year initiative. It was one of many events held throughout a packed week of activist sessions in Guatemala.