Monthly Archives: March 2020

Leslie Feinberg: Unity in The GLBT Community / Program (1994)

March 6, 2020Community Service, Exhibits and Events, Gay issues, Gay Pride, Tucson history, Tucson LGBT history, WorkLeslie Feinberg, Tucson lgbtq historyjrdiaz@arizona.edu

Flyer designed by Ken Godat, Wingspan Board member and owner of Godat Design.

In the early 90’s I was a member of the American Library Association’s GLBT Book Award committee. One of the books published for the year under review was Leslie’s Feinberg’s groundbreaking novel, Stone Butch Blues. It brought to light the issues faced by people who were transgendered and it struck a strong chord with me. I lobbied hard for the book to win the award for fiction, and indeed it did, in 1993. At the time, my position at the UA Library was that of Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity and part of my work was to engage in building partnerships with campus and community groups to help educate the campus and the community at large about issues faced by underrepresented or misunderstood groups, such as the GLBT community. I decided that it would be great to bring Leslie to Tucson, and worked with the members of Wingspan, the local gay community center to raise money to fund her visit, which took place during the Fall 1994 semester. We received support from the University’s Diversity Action Council as well as from the University Library and other groups.

This is the news release I wrote for the occasion:

NEWS RELEASE….NEWS RELEASE…NEWS RELEASE…NEWS RELEASE

September 1994

September 30, 7pm: Reading/lecture on Unity in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Community. Modern Languages Auditorium, University of Arizona.
October 1, 6pm: Book signing and reception at Wingspan, Tucson’s Lesbian and Gay Community Center, 422 N. 4th Ave.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information contact Bob Diaz at 621©2101.

Biographical sketch: Leslie Feinberg came of age as a young butch lesbian in the factories and gay bars of Buffalo NY in the 1960’s. Since that time, Feinberg has been a grassroots activist and a journalist.S/he is nationally known in the gay and transgender movements.

Leslie Feinberg was given the distinct honor of being the opening speaker at this summer’s Stonewall 25 rally in New York City, which drew millions of people from across the country and around the world. Feinberg’s novel, Stone Butch Blues, published on March 1, 1993 by Firebrand Books, has received a wildly popular response. The novel has received the prestigious American Library Association Award for Gay and Lesbian Literature and a LAMBDA Literary Award.

A video about Leslie Feinberg titled Outlaw (see excerpt below) premiered at the New York City Lesbian and Gay Film Festival this summer and is being distributed nationally and internationally.

Feinberg has toured the country for two years with the slide show on transgender issues that has played to packed audiences and standing ovations. Since October 1993, s/he has appeared on the Joan Rivers show and scores of other television and radio programs. Feinberg has been interviewed and and her work reviewed by virtually every lesbian/gay, transgender and feminist publication in the last two years.

Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose Time Has Come, originally published in 1992 by World View Forum. (Click on the title to read the pamphlet).

Biographical Highlights:

Winner of the 1993 American Library Association Gay and Lesbian
Task Force Book Award for Fiction.
Winner of the 1993 Lambda Literary Award for Small Press Fiction.
Subject of the video production, OUTLAW, which premiered at the
1994 Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in New York City.
Nationally known leader in the Gay and Transgendered movements.
Grass roots activist and journalist.
A feature length movie about Ms. Feinberg’s life is now in production in Hollywood.

bd 9/94

Here’s a copy of the article that appeared in the Tucson Weekly about Feinberg’s visit:

Feinberg’s visit was the first of several made to Tucson over the years. Within a few years of her visit, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance was founded, which was a support and advocacy group whose focus was to support those who identify as transgendered. The group still exists and is stronger than ever.

From the Arizona Daily Wildcat, October, 1998

Feinberg returned to Tucson in 2004 for the following event.

In 2007, Leslie was the keynote speaker at the Annual Wingspan dinner in Tucson. Read about it here.

Read Feinberg’s obituary in the Advocate here.

Years later, after Feinberg died in 2014, when I was a member of the American Library Association Council, I authored a resolution for the Association that was passed in Leslie’s memory. I’ll never forget how encouraging and supportive Leslie was to me and my partner, with whom she became fast friends. She encouraged me to do more community organizing and complimented me on the work I did when I brought her to town all those many years ago. Introducing her to the Tucson community was one of the best moments of my career.

She was a true revolutionary.

Leslie and longtime partner Minnie Bruce Pratt. Pratt died on July 2, 2023 at the age of 76.

Tucson Meet Yourself Lowrider Display/ Exhibition, October 12-14, 2012

March 6, 2020Community Service, Exhibits and Eventslowriders, Tucson Meet Yourselfjrdiaz@arizona.edu

A few years back, I was a member of the Board of Directors of Tucson Meet Yourself and for the 2012 Festival, I was invited to create a small exhibition on lowriders for display at the festival. The results can be seen below. I had a great time working on this, from painting the display boards to writing a bibliography on lowriding (see below) to meeting with members of the local car club, The Dukes, to borrow materials for the display. These include the little cars and the Dukes clock, as well as the hubcaps that are shown. I used material from my own record collections to create the display on oldies but goodies music. The photos below include a couple of my good friend Mel “Melo” Dominguez, a wonderful local artist with whom I shared a booth at the festival. Friends of mine stopped by and their photos are also included. Finally, I had to include some photos of the many beautiful cars that were on display that day. Again, this was another fun project!

Local artist extraordinaire, Mel “Melo” Dominguez, showing off the t-shirt he designed for the festival.

These t-shirts sold like hotcakes at the festival. I still have mine. It’s held up pretty well!

My friend RIcardo Andrade and his friends stopped by to say hello.

Lowrider Bibliography

These resources can be obtained from either the University of Arizona Library or the Pima County Public Library.

How to build a lowrider. / by Frank Hamilton. North Branch MN. Cartech, 1996. University of Arizona Library, Special Collections. TL 255.2 .H36 1996

Lowrider: history, pride, culture. / by Paige R. Penland. St. Paul MN: Motorbooks, International, 2003. University of Arizona Library. Special Collections. TL 255.2 .P46 2003

Lowrider Magazine. San Jose, Calif.: A.T.M. Communications. Pima County Public Library. Various branches.

Lowrider space: aesthetics and politics of Mexican American custom cars./ by Ben Chappel. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2012. University of Arizona Library. E184.M5 C3837 2012

Lowriders. / by Lisa Bullard. Minneapolis, Minn: Lerner Publishing, 2007 (children’s book) Pima County Public Library. 629.2872 B8729L 2007 CHILD

Lowriders / by Matt Doeden. Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, 2005. (children’s book) Pima County Public Library. 629.2872 D67L 2005 CHILD

Lowriders. / by Robert Genat. St. Paul, Minn: MBI, Publishing, 2001. Pima County Public Library. 629.222 G2852L 2001 Espanol TEEN

Lowriders handbook, The: engines, tires and wheels, hydraulics, custom interiors, custom bodywork, chassis and suspension, air ride. / from the editors of Lowrider Magazine. New York: HP Books, 2002. University of Arizoan Library. Special Collections. TL 255.2 .L68 2002

Lowriders in Chicano culture: from low to slow to show. / by Charles M. Tatum. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood, 2011. University of Arizona Library. E-book.

Lowriding in Aztlan: the truth about lowriding! / a film produced by Katrina Jasso-Osorio, Daniel Osorio; written and directed by Daniel Osorio. New York: Universal Music and Video Distribution, 2006. Pima County Public Library. 629.222 L9552 2006 DVD TEEN

Low ‘n slow: lowriding in New Mexico. / photographs by Jack Parson; text by Carmella Padilla; poetry by Juan Estevan Arellano. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1999. Pima County Public Library. 917.89004 P254L 1999

Low y cool. / a film by Marianne Dissard. Tucson, Az. M. Dissard, 1997. Pima County Public Library. 362.7089 L95 1996 DVD, available at various branches.

Old barrio guide to low rider music, The. / by Ruben Molina. La Puente, Ca: Mictlan Pub., 2005. University of Arizona Library. Fine Arts Library and Special Collections. ML 3558 .M65 2005

Prepared by Bob Diaz for Tucson Meet Yourself. October, 2012.

An Evening of Corridos/ Program (2015)

March 6, 2020Exhibits and Events, Workjrdiaz@arizona.edu

AUDIO OF PROGRAM

Promo for the event:

Corridos are narrative songs which often chronicle socially relevant historical events. The corridos featured in this evening’s program come from both the Mexican Revolution and the Cristero Rebellion, a revolt by Catholics against the Mexican government that occurred in response to anti-Catholic legislation in the 1920’s.

A lecture by Dr. Celestino Fernandez will be followed by the performance of corridos by local artists, including Juan Aguilar and Justin Enriquez, members of the quartet, Los Cuatro Vientos.

Dr. Celestino Fernández, Professor Emeritus in the University of Arizona School of Sociology, is himself a composer of corridos. He served as University Distinguished Outreach Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies for many years. His research focuses on various issues pertaining to culture, Mexican immigration, ethnic diversity, and education and he has published approximately 50 articles and book chapters. Dr. Fernandez serves on numerous community boards, and helped start San Miguel High School, a college-prep school for students from poor and working class families. Dr. Fernández received an M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

To learn more about the Cristero Rebellion, you may wish to visit the online exhibition La Vida Fronteriza: Church, Economy and Daily Life which features materials documenting the De la Torre family and their involvement in the Cristero Rebellion.

My introduction to the event:

“Good evening. My name is Bob Diaz. I am the curator for the performing arts and the exhibits and events coordinator here in Special Collections. Thank you for for joining us tonight. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to our second annual evening of corridos. Before I introduce our guests, I’d like to mention our Dia De Los Muertos altar. This year’s altar was put together by Luis Coronado Gruel and students from his History 368 class on Colonial Mexico. The altar is dedicated to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, one of the most important Mexican writers of all time. Thank you, maestro Gruel, for doing such a wonderful job.

Aristeo Brito, Dr. Celestino Fernandez and his wife

Tonight Dr. Celestino Fernandez, professor emeritus of Sociology, will be giving a presentation on the corridos of the Cristero Movement and the Mexican Revolution. Following his presentation, we will hear from a number of folks who brought their guitars with them and who will be singing some corridos for us. We have with us again, Justin Enriquez and Juan Aguilar, as well as a few other musical guests, including Bobby Benton, Jim Griffith, Antonio Gomez and Aristeo Brito, and Dena Cowan and Jesus Garcia. There may be others who have come along to join in on the fun, and hopefully we’ll have time to hear everyone sing at least one song.

Dr. Fernandez giving a presentation on Corridos of the Revolution

After the lecture and performances we will have refreshments, including pan de muerto from La Estrella Bakery. Please enjoy the program, stick around and check out the altar and our exhibit on Tucson, and enjoy yourselves. Nuestra casa es su casa”.

Day of the Dead altar prepared by Professor Luis Coronado Gruel and his History 368 class. The altar was dedicated to Sor Juan Ines de la Cruz

Tucson: Growth, Change, Memories / Exhibition, August 17, 2015-January21, 2016.

March 5, 2020Exhibits and Events, WorkTucson, Urban renewal photographsjrdiaz@arizona.edu

This exhibition was held in celebration of the anniversary of the “founding” of Tucson in 1775 by Spanish colonizers, and was centered around a collection of photographs I had found in Special Collections that consisted of photos of all of the buildings in the oldest part of town that had been demolished during Tucson’s urban renewal rampage, which took place in the latter part of the 1960s. Some beautiful houses and many historically significant buildings were lost in the old barrio, or “Barrio Viejo” to to make way for the building of the Tucson Community Center. My friend Richard’s father, Mr. Albert Elias, had mentioned to me that they existed, so I looked and looked until I found them. I was frankly quite shocked that these photos never got much attention before I pushed to have them digitized for use in this exhibition. The events I planned included a lecture by Tom Sheridan, assessing the present state of the Mexican community in Tucson and a panel discussion on growing up in Tucson that featured Katya Peterson, Molly McKasson, Lydia Otero and Ernesto Portillo, Jr. This was one of my best efforts. The programs were both well attended and the exhibition drew many visitors.