S 3 Episode 20- Mimi Madrid​ and Nez Gonzalez - Latine Leadership

Peter and Tania talk with Mimi and Nez about Latine Leadership.

Mimi Madrid​ and Nez Gonzalez are two inspirational Latine leaders and part of the team at Fortaleza Familiar, an organization dedicated to the wellness of Indigenous Chicanx Latinx Lesbian Gay Bi Queer Trans Two-Spirit young people and their families in Colorado. 

Mimi is a mexica chicanx queer two-spirit writer, multimedia-maker, organizer the Executive Director of the organization. 

Nez Gonzalez (he/him) is co-founder of the organization and now serves as Community Workshop Facilitator. Nez shares expertise and organizing for trans student rights in Denver high schools. He has experience creating workshops designed to educate on queer and racial identities for both youth and their families.

​"I believe in the power of youth, elimination of borders, popular education, all forms of art expression, intergenerational healing and learning, swaying on the continuums of gender expression, identity, and orientation, singing out-loud, leaving to come back, dancing in revolution, and sana-sana-colita-de-rana." - Mimi

"My hope is that we’re able to create loving communities where we’re free to be our queer indigenous selves." - Nez

Mimi Madrid (he/they/she) is a mexica chicanx queer two-spirit writer, multimedia-maker, organizer and tio. Mimi’s family roots start in Northern Mexico in the states of Chihuahua y Durango—homelands of her grandmas Dolores Puga y Rosa Torres. Mimi was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in so-called Denver, Colorado—the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people.

​Mimi's worked more than a decade in reproductive justice, youth leadership and LGBTQ+ liberation movements. Mimi’s focus is the development, implementation, and evaluation of cultural, wellness, and safety community programs, events, and curriculum. He’s worked with organizations around Denver that center LGBTQ folks, indigenous young people, survivors of violence, immigrant families, and communities of color.