New Latina Transgender Organization Already Subject To Death ThreatsBy: Armando Trull // July 26, 2012
American University Radio, Washington D.C.
http://wamu.org/news/12/07/26/new_latina_transgender_organization_already_subject_to_death_threats
photo credit: Armando TrullDespite the death threat, Casa Ruby was packed on Thursday.A new Latina transgender organization is embracing its mission to serve as a haven for community members seeking to escape violence, in spite of a death threat received last week.
[TRIGGER WARNING - THREATENING SPEECH]
The Spanish-language death threat was left on the voice mail of the newly-opened Casa Ruby, the first and only Latina transgender agency serving the D.C. area. Translated roughly, the message says, "You deserve divine punishment and death, but before death you should suffer. You are damned from birth to death."
Ruby Corado is the founder of the agency, and she was the one who initially retrieved the message. "I am very upset," says Corado. "This is something that I didn't expect so soon."
In spite of the threat, Casa Ruby has continued to serve as a safe haven for the Latino transgendered community of Washington DC.
LISTEN TO TAPED INTERVIEW (1 minute 30 seconds):
http://wamu.org/audio-player?nid=60954
Latino LGBT community center to open in D.C.May 2, 2012
By Lou Chibbaro Jr
logo for the new community centerA Latino LGBT community services center called Casa Ruby is scheduled to open its doors in D.C.'s Columbia Heights neighborhood on June 6, according to transgender activist Ruby Corado, the new center's founder and director.
Corado said the center will operate in a 750-square-foot office space on the lower floor of a converted townhouse at 2822 Georgia Ave., N.W. She said the rented office comes with additional outdoor patio space in the rear of the building, which is located a few blocks from the Columbia Heights Metro station.
"It's going to be an LGBT center with a primary focus on Latinos, which is the population that I have been working with," said Corado, a native Spanish speaker. "But it's open to everybody."
Corado said the city's existing LGBT Community Center on the 1300 block of U Street, N.W., has been welcoming to the LGBT Latino community. But similar to most other LGBT groups in the D.C. metropolitan area, Corado said the existing center lacks Spanish speaking staff or volunteers. She said a sizable number of LGBT Latinos in the area aren't fluent in English.
"I want this to this to sort of be a home," she said. "I want them to feel this is their place. If they don't have anything out there for their needs like a place to stay I want them to come and I will help them find that.
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LINK to the Casa Ruby Community Center:
http://casaruby.org/
