Dear Beautiful Community–
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to share with you that our beautiful sister Maritxa Vidal who was one of our leaders in Chicago and a board member of our organization has passed away due to cancer. I was notified yesterday of the passing of our beautiful warrior sister and I had to take a bit of time for me to digest the news and write this message, as you may know, this is especially painful for me as Maritxa was not just my friend but also my sister in the struggle. Maritxa was beautiful, incredible and a great fighter for all of our peoples in Chicago and around the country. Maritxa was a chingona Cubana who had a beautiful heart, a heart of gold who did everything that she could to support others. She was awarded and acknowledged in Chicago by the local government and multiple organizations and was inducted into the LGBTQ Hall of Fame. I am saddened and in much pain but I am also inspired by Maritxa's life and in her honor, I am committed to continuing to fight for our people's rights. Today, please light a candle to give light to our beautiful sister Maritxa in her journey. Please continue to take care of yourselves and know that despite the hard times, we need to continue to push for all of us to have a better quality of life.
Rest In Power our dear and beautiful sister Martixa Vidal.
Bamby Salcedo
CEO & President
The TransLatin@ Coalition