Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Building a Translengua in Latina Lesbian Organizing

2016; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 21; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/10894160.2016.1156384

1540-3548

Lourdes Torres,

Latin American and Latino Studies

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.