Today’s mini-cast is pretty serious and heavy because it is the 5 year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, a tragedy at the intersection of Latinx and queer.

The UCC observed this with a virtual webinar service, which you can find on their YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/lr-oGr4Qw_E

General Synod is fast approaching and Encuentros Latinx will be there! We’ll be running a couple of workshops, one of which is working through our racism toolkit and that will be facilitated by yours truly and my guest for today’s episode: Rhina Ramos!

Rhina is the current president, leader, la jefa of Encuentros Latinx, the one who keeps us all organized and moving forward on all of the work this ministry does. In this episode, she shares how she has always lived into her proud immigrant identity, and details her winding faith journey. We talk about the origin and vision of Encuentros Latinx, the impact it’s had so far, and share more details about our upcoming workshops! How many UCC acronyms can we fit into a single episode?

Episode recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Flores.

My guest today is Kira Ming, business owner, author, and entrepreneur. We chat about reggaeton, our different experiences not being immediately seen as Latina, and being your best self with law of attraction.

Keep up with Kira here!

Instagram: @therealkiraming

Website: www.therealkiraming.com

Kira's book Small Business, Big Success is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon!

Email the podcast at [email protected].

This episode was recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez.

Introducing a new, occasional segment to the Encuentros Latinx podcast! Tostones con Taylor is a brief time where I share about my own experience or provide more details about other work Encuentros Latinx is doing. So grab your tostones (literal or metaphorical) and settle in for a story!

A new, regular episode of Encuentros Latinx will be posted next week.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: UCC Encuentros Latinx

My guest today is one of my old critique partners from my senior seminar creative writing class in college. Poet and educator Angeley Crawford shares the rich tapestry of her Blackness rooted in Costa Rica, the Caribbean, the West Indies, and other African diaspora communities that shaped her. She also shares her experiences as an educator, what formed her as a creative writer, and other amazing projects she’s a part of. Listen to the end for some spoken word, but for now, let’s get right into this encuentro.

Follow Angely on Instagram @lanegraspeaks

Follow @defineblackus on Instagram

"The X in Latinx is a Wound, Not a Trend" by Alan Peleaz Lopez

Encuentros Latinx Podcast is hosted by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez.

My guest today is Pastor Nelson Rabell and he lays out for us the richness of what it is to be Puerto Rican, the breadth of traditions Latinx people bring to the church, and the journey of his work as an LGBTQ+ ally and anti-racist activist. Let’s get right into this encuentro.

Nelson Rabell's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nelson.rabell

My guest today is Yaz Mendez Nuñez from Soulforce, an organization dedicated to ending white Christian supremacy, and we get into the nuances of the X in Latinx, their experiences existing in nebulous spaces of race and identity, and how their mysterious, inexplicable love for their cat is akin to their inexplicable love of God.

Follow @soulforceorg on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Their biggest program is Teología Sin Vergüenza, a media project where queer and/or feminist theologians have conversations with each other about contemporary issues. You can find that project at @teosinverguenza on Facebook and Instagram.

New year, new name! "Proyecto Encuentros de Gracia y Bienvenida" is now "Encuentros Latinx" and this show is the Encuentros Latinx Podcast. Same content, and almost the same title!

Email the show at [email protected].

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and may 2021 not be 2020. 

My guest today is Brahidaliz Martinez and he weaves a beautiful story of how the beloved coqui got its name while sharing his own family history. He also shares the journey of some of his writing projects and we get into a great discussion about She-Ra and Latinx representation in science fiction and fantasy stories.

Follow Brahidaliz on Twitter: @brahidaliz

Today, I’m very excited to bring you Alejandra Caraballo, who is just a powerhouse in terms of her background and all the amazing work she’s doing, including her recent decision to run for a local political office in New York City. I had the privilege of connecting with her at Creating Change back in January and it was great to catch up with her again. We chat about the mountains in Puerto Rico, hardcore music, leaving religion, and how she’s found community and purpose knowing that we are but specs in an expansive universe.

Alejandra's social media:

Instagram and Twitter: @esqueer_

Campaign website: Fightforjustice.nyc

 

Join Proyecto de Gracia y Bienvenida for a special Christmas event! Check our Facebook page for registration info for Posadas Navideñas. https://www.facebook.com/UCCBienvenida

The second of our back-from-hiatus-back-to-back special. We'll resume our monthly schedule after this episode.

My guest today is Revered Alba Onofrio AKA Reverend Sex and we really get into naming the insidious project of whiteness to claim Latinxs who feel distanced from their heritage, unpack the complexities of mixed identity, and name this force called “Christian supremacy.” This may be a UCC-backed podcast, but the UCC gets called out and we’re blessed for it, honestly.

Follow Rev. Alba's work at Soulforce and Teologia Sin Verguenza:

https://www.soulforce.org/

https://www.facebook.com/TeoSinVerguenza/