Editor’s note: Jenny Arellano’s quote was originally shared in Spanish and has been translated.
Jenny Arellano, a trailblazing media personality, beauty professional, and trans woman, was one of this year’s Atlanta Pride Grand Marshals. The honor represents the necessity of trans Latina leadership, advocates told Georgia Voice.
Arellano has made an impact on Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community for nearly two decades. She was the first transgender woman in Atlanta to obtain an amended birth certificate reflecting her gender identity.
As the host of the show “Jenny Sin Censura” on Energia Audiva Radio, Arellano uses her platform to elevate transgender Latinx stories.
“This recognition touched the deepest chords of my heart because it represents so much more than a title: it represents my story, my struggles, my dreams, and every step I have taken to live with pride and authenticity,” Arellano told Georgia Voice. “As a Latina trans woman, receiving this honor means knowing that my voice, my presence, and my story have a place in this community. I am deeply moved when I think of all the people who fought before us, those who continue to resist, and the new generations who deserve to grow up feeling free, loved, and proud of who they are.”
Arellano is one of the subjects of “Eight Heels and a Hard Truth,” a documentary co-directed by Aubrianna Escalera, the president of Poder Unides, and Josephine Figueroa, the co-founder of La Choloteca.
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The film, which was produced as part of Atlanta Pride and Out On Film’s Reel resistance fellowship, highlights Escalera, Arellano, and seven other trans women living in the South.
Escalera and Emilia Villegas, the vice president of Poder Unides, spoke to Georgia Voice about Arellano’s impact as an advocate for trans Latinas and the importance of sharing stories centering trans women.
“It was important for me to share [Arellano’s] story because of the deep barrier [of her only speaking Spanish], but also what she’s gone through,” Escalera said. “Everyone deserves to tell their story at their own time.”
“Her artistry, the way that she dresses, the way that she expresses herself, the things that Jenny shared with me,” Villegas added, “… I think it’s very appropriate that this year she gets that spotlight of being in the position of Grand Marshal, representing trans Latinas and just transness overall.”
Poder Unides is an organization empowering trans people in the South. Its programs include the Georgia Peaches Leadership and Advocacy Program, which equips trans people to advocate for themselves on the legislative level; Ari’s Gender-Affirming Closet, a community closet offering free gender-affirming clothing, hot meals, and showers; and the LOVE Shack-Safe Box, a clean syringe program offering discreet HIV self-test kits, clean syringes, and safe disposal options to reduce health risks.
The trans and Latinx communities have been specifically targeted by the current administration. A report by the League of United Latin American Citizens found that court-sanctioned racial profiling has contributed to the disproportionate targeting of Latinx people by immigration enforcement regardless of their immigration status. Citing a recent UCLA study, LULAC said that federal immigration agents arrested more than 187,000 Latinx people and deported more than 126,000 from January to October this year.
Transgender people have also been the targets of legislative attacks. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, there are 154 anti-trans bills active in the U.S. Escalera and Villegas told Georgia Voice that living at the intersection of these identities is “terrifying.”
“I just want to be able to find love, kindness, and gentleness at the end of the day, because that’s what I think we all want,” Villegas said.
Despite the fear, Arellano, Poder Unides, and other trans people and organizations across the country continue to fight for humanity, safety, and joy.
“Today and always, I will continue to raise my voice, walk with my head held high,” Arellano said, “and show that being your true self is one of the greatest acts of love and courage there is,”
More information about Jenny Arellano and Poder Unides can be found on Instagram and online.
