K. Ermelinda Garcia

“Constructing Ties” will center the chosen families of women in Mexico City’s LGBT community from the 1970s to the present. Through oral history interviews and archival resources, the project illustrates how individuals found one another and how this has shifted over time. Little work has been conducted within the field of history on the lives of women in the LGBT community. Earlier scholarship has centered political histories and lacks a holistic view of the lives of women. These oral histories center the emotional and interpersonal dynamics within their individually constructed communities. Ultimately, “Constructing Ties” aims to highlight the importance of community in constructing an environment in which queer people not only survive but thrive.