The Latinx Student Association, Office of Multicultural Student Engagement and Gender, Sexuality, Women’s Studies program hosted its first watch party of the “Visions of Us: LGBTQ+ Latine Representation in TV & Film” documentary series Sept. 21.

The party watched episode three “Groundbreaking Moments of Bisexual Latine Representation in TV & Film” to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Bisexual Awareness Week, LSA Vice President Marianne Samano said.

Samano said the watch party events will hopefully help bring more awareness to  Latinx LGBTQ+ experiences.

“I think there’s something really important about saying that not only are we having events for LGBTQ+ members but we also have people on our e-board who are LGBTQ+ who are open about it and want to talk about their experiences,” Samano said.

The Netflix documentary series showcases characters and actors of Hispanic heritage who also identify as LGBTQ+ in movies and television.

OMSE Senior Director Stephanie Hawkes said diversity in film and television can be important to help all audiences feel accepted and included.

“Representation in any space is always important and ties back to validation, acceptance, and belonging. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in media and art. This is just one example of that,” Hawkes said. 

The third episode analyzed bisexual characters, Rosa Diaz, from the sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” played by Stephanie Beatriz, and Callie Torres from the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” played by Sara Ramirez.

After watching the episode, the group discussed representation in media, colorism and bisexuality representation in men versus women.

Samano said she enjoyed having the discussion to see everyone’s different reactions and hear what topics they were thinking about.

 “People were chiming in from different backgrounds so I really liked how people perceived different aspects of the same media we just watched,” Samano said.

Michael Schmidt, GSW student engagement coordinator, said there should be more representation of LGBTQ+ identifying Hispanic people.

“Latinx LGBTQ+ folks deserve representation that centers and reflects their diverse experiences,” Schmidt said. “We need complex, culturally-rich characters in front of the cameras and culturally-competent creatives behind the scenes producing authentic forms of story-telling deserve resources and outlets for that work.” 

According to the USC Annenburg Inclusion Initiative, 5% of popular movies in 2019 had a Hispanic/Latino character. That same year, 98 of 100 movies were missing LGBTQ+ Hispanic/Latino characters.

For Spanish-speaking television, the characters are “invisible,” according to a 2017 report from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; of 158 characters in Telemundo shows airing during the study, eight were LGBTQ+ identifying.

LSA President Sofia Piloni said the campus watch parties are meant to promote community representation for all Latinx students, including those who are LGBTQ+.

“I feel like going to college, we are already in a place where we are already underrepresented so it’s kind of our job to help build community with the students, which includes all students who are Latinx,” Piloni said.

Schmidt said media representation can go a long way for marginalized communities but won’t fix everything.

 "A character or a film or a tv series alone is not enough to remedy the real historical inequities, exclusion, and violence faced by Latinx, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups,” Schmidt said. “But media representation certainly has a role.”

Piloni said the watch parties are important to support the LGBTQ+ Latinx community and educate people on different experiences.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important this conversation is. Even with the term ‘Latinx,’ which is still new. People and the experiences they have and are sharing is changing,” Piloni said. “I feel like coming to these conversations can help you keep up with these changes and educate yourself.”

The watch party series will continue on Oct. 6., Oct. 12. and Nov. 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Student Center multipurpose room 775.

Shawntay Lewis is the Arts & Entertainment editor for The South End. She can be reached at artsandentertainmenttse@gmail.com.

Cover photo provided by Shawntay Lewis.