By Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.–
This year marks the 30th anniversary of AGUILAS, which provides services to the Latinx LGBTQI+ community. Founded in 1991, AGUILAS was funded by the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 1994 to design and develop a long-range delivery of service for the prevention of HIV/AIDS among Latinx men who have sex with men. The Horizons Foundation just awarded AGUILAS $2,500 to help with the 30th anniversary celebration that will take place on Friday, May 17, from 6–8 pm.
The location of the celebration will be the SF LGBT Center Rainbow Room on the second floor where there will be food, presentations, and entertainment. Reservations are recommended once the announcement is formally made through the AGUILAS website, Facebook, and other social media. Since AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQI+ agency in all the Americas, we hope that this historic celebration will bring the community and allies together to celebrate and toast to the organization’s continued success.
AGUILAS Achievements Over the Decades
As part of its 30 years of service, AGUILAS staff completed a qualitative needs assessment in English, Spanish, and Portuguese of Latinx gay/bisexual men in San Francisco. The findings were incorporated into the updated plan for San Francisco HIV Health Services. AGUILAS during its years of service also took the lead in developing a memorial to those who were massacred at the Pulse Club in Orlando, Florida.
AGUILAS is the only Latinx agency that is a founding donor for the SF LGBT Center that opened in 2002. Also, AGUILAS organized the first ever Mexican LGBT Leadership Conference in Spanish at the top floor of the Sheraton Hotel Maria Isabel in Mexico City; it was held on July 5, 2008, in collaboration with Alliant International University. Interestingly, this was the first time Mexican LGBTQ+ leaders ever gathered in one place, and consequently, this was a very noteworthy, history-making event—one of many for AGUILAS. So please consider joining us to mark yet another milestone on May 17. Stay tuned for additional information about the 30th Anniversary celebration.
Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.
Nuestra Voz
Published on March 21, 2024
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