Beneath the towering Pride flag on the corner of Normal Street and University Avenue, smaller flags wave — brightly colored papel picados. Candles flicker around framed photos of dead loved ones, surrounded by their favorite treats: hot tamales, concha, Fireball whiskey and a lone cigarette. At the center, a pair of work gloves are folded, worn black with use.
Tucked among the frames are icons of the gay community Leslie Jordan, Betty White, Marsha P. Johnson, and Mexican singer Juan Gabriel.
The offerings create an altar to the dead and a vibrant illustration of the intersection between Latinx and LGBTQ+ cultures. It was first built for Día de Muertos last year, but was vandalized. Photos smashed and items stolen.
On Wednesday morning, a woman crowned in flowers — symbols of life’s fragility and impermanence — sits guard.
Karla Quezada-Torres said she is one of a dozen volunteers who have been guarding the ofrenda in shifts, all day and night.
She said the people who vandalized it last year didn’t understand its significance. They sit at guard this year not just to prevent it from happening again, but to educate the community on the purpose of the ofrenda.
“Having a community ofrenda gives us that opportunity to grieve together,” she said. “To share the stories of our loved ones. And sometimes that takes a lot more strength and courage and an opportunity to embrace each other during a moment of pain.”
She welcomed anyone, regardless of identity, to visit and contribute to the ofrenda.
“Ofrenda,” she said, “is for everyone.”
Many of the faces in this ofrenda are noticeably young. Quezada-Torres said that reflects death by suicide, homicide and AIDS among the LGBTQ+ community.
Still, she said, even more than grieving, they celebrate their lives.
