Revision as of 19:05, 18 March 2019

Drago Renteria

Drago Renteria (born Dragonsani Renteria, 04 September 1967) is a Deaf Chicano transman and long-time San Francisco denizen. He is a well-known LGBTQ/social justice activist, educator, historian, and artist. He spearheaded many DeafQueer advocacy efforts and took charge, in various capacities, of several LGBTQIA organizations.

Early Life and Education

Renteria was born in El Paso, Texas to a butch lesbian mother, thus positing Drago as Second Generation^[1]. He is of Mexican and Italian heritages and grew up exposed to Chicano culture. His first language is Spanish. He was stricken with spinal meningitis when he was 11 and, after two days of high fever, became deaf. He came out as a lesbian in the late 1970's when he was 12 and transitioned from female to male in the late 1990's, one of the very first deaf folks, and perhaps the first Deaf Person of Color, to have done so.

He attended Gallaudet University for two years (1986 to 1988) before transferring to University of California at Berkeley and graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1993.

Career

LGBTQ Activism/Community Service

Renteria has expressed his passion for causes related to anti-gentrification and housing rights and is very involved in local movements to address these issues. He served on the boards of FTM International, Transgender Law Center, Youth Gender Project, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, and California Center for Law and the Deaf.

Online Entrepreneurship and Advocacy

Renteria is CEO of DeafVision, one of the first Deaf-owned Internet companies, and founder and executive director since 1995 of Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC), one of the first Deaf-related websites on the web. He also created the very first websites not just for Deaf LGBTQ folks, but also the very first website for Deaf women (Deaf Women Resources), the Deaf leather community (Deaf Leather Dungeon), and the Deaf Latinx community (Deaf Aztlan), among others. Virtually every single Deaf LGBTQ organization online prior to 2005 got its start online through DeafVision.

Aside from DQRC, he is also founder and coordinator of the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives from 1994 to present, editor of DCARA News from 1995 to 1996, director of Deaf Gay & Lesbian Center (DGLC) from 1992 to1995, and founder, publisher and editor of Coming Together Newsletter (CTN) from 1991 to 1995.

Photography

He is a photojournalist for El Tecolote since 2015.

Publications

Renteria has been mentioned in several publications, notably

Selected Awards and Honours

Laurent Clerc Award, Gallaudet University, 2018
Trailblazer Award, DeafHope, 2015
41 Latin@ LGBTQ role models, 2015
13 Trans Latinx Activists Who are Changing the World, 2015
Honorary Grand Marshall, Seattle LGBT Pride, 2006
Appreciation Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2005
DCARA Hal Ramger Distinguish Service Award, 2003
Appreciation Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2003
LGBT Local Hero Award, KQED San Francisco, 2002
Community Service Award, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 2002
Appreciation Award, California State Assembly, 2002
Woman of the Year Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2001
Deaf Queer Role Model, Youth Advocates, 2000
Leadership Award, Rainbow Lambda Society of the Deaf, 1999
Baltimore Leather Association of the Deaf Life Brother Emeritus, 1998
Grand Marshall, San Francisco Freedom Day Parade, 1995
Special Recognition Award, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1993
Leadership Award, Lambda Society of Gallaudet University, 1987

The Drago Renteria Commitment to the LGBTQA Community Award

Every year, the LGBTQA Resource Center at Gallaudet University hosts the Lavender Graduation ceremony where graduating students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community, advocates, allies, and role models are awarded for recognition of their efforts and contributions to promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion for LGBTQIA-identified members on campus. The Drago Renteria Commitment to the LGBTQA Community Award is "the highest honor [...] awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student, typically a member of the graduating class, who has performed extraordinary service and outstanding leadership in helping to strengthen the LGBTQA+ community by encouraging awareness and understanding around LGBTQA+ issues and identities at Gallaudet University and in the wider Deaf community."^[2]

Personal Life

Renteria has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1989 and in the Mission since 1999. He lives with his long-time partner, Jennifer Mantle, a freelance ASL interpreter, priestess, and minister of herchurch, and their service dog and canine genius, Magnus, a Schnoodle.

References

^ admin (2013-01-28). "2nd Gen FAQ- For LGBTQ Folks with LGBTQ Parents". COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
^ "Nominations wanted for annual Lavender Graduation awards | my.Gallaudet". my.gallaudet.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-18.

[1] (2013-01-28). "2nd Gen FAQ- For LGBTQ Folks with LGBTQ Parents". COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent. Retrieved 2019-03-18.

[2] "Nominations wanted for annual Lavender Graduation awards | my.Gallaudet". my.gallaudet.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-18.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = Drago Renteria =
-Drago Renteria (born Dragonsani Renteria, 04 September 1967) is a Deaf Chicano transman and long-time San Francisco denizen. He is an LGBTQ/social justice activist, educator, historian, and artist. He is CEO of his own photography business,  a photojournalist for [http://eltecolote.org/content/en/ El Tecolote],
+Drago Renteria (born Dragonsani Renteria, 04 September 1967) is a Deaf Chicano transman and long-time San Francisco denizen. He is a well-known LGBTQ/social justice activist, educator, historian, and artist. He spearheaded many DeafQueer advocacy efforts and took charge, in various capacities, of several LGBTQIA organizations.
-== Early life ==
+== Early Life and Education ==
-Renteria was born in El Paso, Texas to a butch lesbian mother, thus positing Drago as a Second Generation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.colage.org/2nd-gen-faq-for-lgbtq-folks-with-lgbtq-parents/|title=2nd Gen FAQ- For LGBTQ Folks with LGBTQ Parents|last=admin|date=2013-01-28|website=COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>. He was stricken with spinal meningitis when he was 11 and, after two days of high fever, became deaf. He came out as a lesbian in the late 1970's when he was 12 and transitioned from female to male in the late 1990's.
+Renteria was born in El Paso, Texas to a butch lesbian mother, thus positing Drago as Second Generation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.colage.org/2nd-gen-faq-for-lgbtq-folks-with-lgbtq-parents/|title=2nd Gen FAQ- For LGBTQ Folks with LGBTQ Parents|last=admin|date=2013-01-28|website=COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>. He is of Mexican and Italian heritages and grew up exposed to Chicano culture. His first language is Spanish. He was stricken with spinal meningitis when he was 11 and, after two days of high fever, became deaf. He came out as a lesbian in the late 1970's when he was 12 and transitioned from female to male in the late 1990's, one of the very first deaf folks, and perhaps the first Deaf Person of Color, to have done so.
+He attended Gallaudet University for two years (1986 to 1988) before transferring to University of California at Berkeley and graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1993.
 == Career ==
 === LGBTQ Activism/Community Service ===
-Renteria is very passionate about anti-gentrification and housing rights and very involved in local movements to address these issues. He served on the boards of FTM International, Transgender Law Center, Youth Gender Project, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, and California Center for Law and the Deaf.<br />
+Renteria has expressed his passion for causes related to anti-gentrification and housing rights and is very involved in local movements to address these issues. He served on the boards of FTM International, Transgender Law Center, Youth Gender Project, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, and California Center for Law and the Deaf.<br />
 === Online Entrepreneurship and Advocacy ===
-Renteria is CEO of [http://www.deafvision.net/about/ DeafVision], one of the first Deaf-owned Internet companies, and founder and executive director of [https://www.deafqueer.org/ Deaf Queer Resource Center] (DQRC), one of the first Deaf-related websites on the web. He also created the very first websites not just for Deaf LGBTQ folks, but also the very first website for Deaf women (Deaf Women Resources), the Deaf leather community (Deaf Leather Dungeon), and the Deaf Latinx community (Deaf Aztlan), among others. Virtually every single Deaf LGBTQ organization online prior to 2005 got its start online through DeafVision. <br />
+Renteria is CEO of [http://www.deafvision.net/about/ DeafVision], one of the first Deaf-owned Internet companies, and founder and executive director since 1995 of [https://www.deafqueer.org/ Deaf Queer Resource Center] (DQRC), one of the first Deaf-related websites on the web. He also created the very first websites not just for Deaf LGBTQ folks, but also the very first website for Deaf women (Deaf Women Resources), the Deaf leather community (Deaf Leather Dungeon), and the Deaf Latinx community (Deaf Aztlan), among others. Virtually every single Deaf LGBTQ organization online prior to 2005 got its start online through DeafVision.
+Aside from DQRC, he is also founder and coordinator of the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives from 1994 to present, editor of DCARA News from 1995 to 1996, director of Deaf Gay & Lesbian Center (DGLC) from 1992 to1995, and founder, publisher and editor of Coming Together Newsletter (CTN) from 1991 to 1995.<br />
 === Photography ===
+He is a photojournalist for [http://eltecolote.org/content/en/ El Tecolote] since 2015.<br />
-<br />
 === Publications ===
+Renteria has been mentioned in several publications, notably
-<br />
 === Selected Awards and Honours ===
@@ Line 43: / Line 47: @@
 Every year, the [https://www.gallaudet.edu/multicultural-student-development-and-mentoring/lgbtqa-resource-center LGBTQA Resource Center] at [[Gallaudet University]] hosts the Lavender Graduation ceremony where graduating students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community, advocates, allies, and role models are awarded for recognition of their efforts and contributions to promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion for LGBTQIA-identified members on campus. The Drago Renteria Commitment to the LGBTQA Community Award is "the highest honor [...] awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student, typically a member of the graduating class, who has performed extraordinary service and outstanding leadership in helping to strengthen the LGBTQA+ community by encouraging awareness and understanding around LGBTQA+ issues and identities at Gallaudet University and in the wider Deaf community."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://my.gallaudet.edu/intranet/announcements-archive/nominations-wanted-for-annual-lavender-graduation-awards|title=Nominations wanted for annual Lavender Graduation awards {{!}} my.Gallaudet|website=my.gallaudet.edu|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>
-== Personal life ==
+== Personal Life ==
 Renteria has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1989 and in the Mission since 1999. He lives with his long-time partner, Jennifer Mantle, a freelance ASL interpreter, priestess, and minister of [http://www.herchurch.org/ herchurch], and their service dog and canine genius, Magnus, a Schnoodle.