Building a Translengua in Latina Lesbian Organizing. Issue 3 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Torres, Lourdes
• Is Part Of: Journal of lesbian studies. Volume 21:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 272
• Page End: 288
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: Latina lesbian -- translengua -- Latina lesbian organizing -- language -- Spanish -- bilingual; Lesbianism -- Periodicals; Gay and lesbian studies -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 306.7663
• DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2016.1156384
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1089-4160

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article discusses the challenges and rewards, as well as the affective labor, involved in forging a Latina lesbian "translengua, " in other words a common language in the context of Latina lesbian organizing. I explore how members of Latina Lesbians en Nuestro Ambiente (LLENA) and Amigas Latinas, Chicago-based Latina lesbian organizations, attempted to foster consensus for collective action in the face of language differences and preferences. Through analysis of archives and interviews with activists, I untangle how LLENA and Amigas Latinas negotiated deeply personal and sensitive issues around language use as they worked to build an inclusive movement. I also identify strategies used to enact a translengua that could bridge linguistic differences within the Latina lesbian community.