The Borderland Rainbow Center is excited to share with you the LGBTQ+ Heroes Project! This project highlights LGBTQ+ individuals and allies  who have made an impact on their community.

 

Our first deck (playing card and website combo) focuses on the El Paso/Juárez Borderland. Each hero was nominated for the significant contributions by the El Paso Borderland community. 

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Our newest deck focuses on the entire state of Texas, featuring folks who have made statewide impacts.

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One of the main goals of the Borderland Rainbow Center is to promote acceptance and inclusiveness for the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ Border Hero Project showcases role models and significant organizations. These heroes have contributed in many diverse ways in relation to the LBGTQ+ community and for other important causes, such as immigration rights, environmental justice, HIV/AIDS services, public education and much more. Each person or event is illustrated on their own educational “playing card”. Each card includes a tag line indicating accomplishments of the person or organization. We see these heroes as role models, but do not intend to claim that they are perfect. In fact, our heroes are often flawed, because they are human. Acknowledging and celebrating what they have accomplished helps us all have a realistic view of the impact individuals can have on the world around them. 

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In addition to bringing visibility to the stories of these heroes, this approach may also further reduce societal marginalization for the queer community and inspire others to stand against social injustices and inequalities. By creating these playing cards, we are providing our community with an interactive educational resource that provides insight into LGBTQ+ history and brings continual awareness to a community that has historically been underrepresented.

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You may be wondering, “How do I use these playing cards?” We suggest that educators can use these cards to give students access to historical information that will grant them a wider view of the people and events that shaped our region. Families and individuals can use these cards to start conversations about the Borderland's history, and more specifically parts of that history that are often untold. 

The educational websites also include fun activities and card games that go along with each deck which are sorted into categories by grade level. We hope you have hours of fun exploring and learning using these materials. When you invent other ways to use these cards, share that with us via email at borderheroes@borderlandrainbow.org.