When Jennicet Guttirez, a Latine undocumented Transgender activist, landed in Washington, DC, to attend the White House Pride Reception on June 24, 2015, she was ready for the moment that would not only change her life but become a pivotal moment in LGBTQ history. Born in Tuxpan, Jalisco, Mexico, Jennicet immigrated to the United States and, from a young age, understood that her existence was resistance. This sentiment sounds inspiring – and it is –. Still, it’s an ethos that requires a kind of persistence that can be especially risky for a transgender woman of color navigating multiple identities that are oppressed.
The White House Pride Reception was packed with LGBTQ leaders, movers, and shakers from across the country. Two days later, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling made same-sex marriage legal in every state in the US. History was about to be made, and for many, and because same-sex marriage had become the focal point of the broader LGBTQ movement, this was cause for celebration. This is the context that Jennicet was stepping into as she prepared, with the organizing support of Familia, to amplify the brutal conditions trans women, particularly immigrants, face in detention facilities—ranging from physical abuse to sexual violence and lack of medical care and to demand that Obama end deportations of all undocumented people.
As Obama spoke about the progress made for LGBTQ rights, Gutiérrez interrupted him and called attention to the plight of undocumented immigrants, especially transgender women detained in immigration facilities. She shouted, “President Obama, release all LGBTQ immigrants from detention and stop all deportations!” Many attendees at the event attempted to drown her out with chants of “Shame” and “You’re in the White House!” President Obama initially tried to silence her, responding, “You’re in my house,” but Gutiérrez persisted, Why? Because her existence is resistance!
Despite the backlash she faced, this courageous act forced conversations around the treatment of LGBTQ immigrants and the broader implications of U.S. immigration policies. Her direct action exemplified the courage needed to confront power, even in spaces where people expect conformity. That moment in 2015 and her international work since then are not just acts of defiance; they reflect her deep commitment to amplifying the voices of all marginalized people.
Jennicet is a founding member of Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, an organization dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ and immigrant communities. Through her work, she challenges systems of oppression at the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and immigration status. Her activism, including her mentorship of future Trans and queer leaders, has been pivotal in challenging the LGBTQ and Immigrant movements to be more inclusive, and to recognize that trans women of color, especially those who are undocumented, are often at the front lines of struggle but left out of the narratives of progress. Miss Mama’s legacy is one of relentless resistance and persistence.